Of Claws and Clones
by xXWeShouldShoutXx
Summary: With the Mutant Registration Act validated, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura retaliate against the government in the name of freedom. They become in over their heads when they're contacted by Xavier and thrust into a battle over humanity. MAY CONTAIN YAOI/YURI
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I own neither X men nor Naruto.

Summary:

Chapter One

**8:21 AM. Xavier's Mansion, New York, January 03**

Had someone been looking for him, Xavier would have been found in his office, sitting on the metallic colored wheelchair he'd been confined to for many years now; appropriate appendages laying on the arm rests and head forwards. The TV at the far end of the room currently featured a live broadcast from Washington. It seemed with another year came the new intolerance against his beliefs.

_"It is due to recent, violent outbreaks from mutant formations amongst students in schools that we are introducing the Student's Privacy Rights Act, which allows all schools to have a copy of mutant registration in their area, giving them knowledge of any threatening mutant activity that might happen within their walls. This is not a way to expose the privacy of the students and their personal lives, but a way to inform educators of any possible problems that may occur in accordance to the schools mutant activity. The education of America's youth-"_

An audible click sounded through the room as the TV switched off,darkness filling the screen that was just before bouncing with color and life. Xavier could only place his head in his hand, a sigh escaping from between his thin, near colorless lips. It was beyond him how the government had the nerve to name such an act in the rights of the students. It did nothing but take away and exploit the rights of both the children and the family. He'd fought long and hard for mutant freedom for years, and yet everyday the situation only seemed to worsen for them. Maybe one day such trifles as genetics wouldn't be such a cause for discrimination, but that day certainly wasn't today.

**8: 21 AM. Apartment room 21, New York, January 03**

Naruto wasn't sure why he awoke so early. It was still gray outside, the sun just beginning to peek over the eastern sky. An uneasy feeling sat in the bottom of his stomach, making his attempts at falling back asleep futile. He got up and, after a quick stop in the bathroom, made his way from the tiny bedroom of the apartment. The kitchen was even smaller, sporting only a sink, fridge, and single counter, above which lay a trio of cupboards, cream paint peeling off their wooden surfaces. The window on the southern side was still dark, giving a dim view of the parking lot, and, by extension, the bum who'd yet to cease urinating on the fire escape stairs running down the side of the building. An act Naruto was sure he recalled witnessing just before heading to bed the previous night.

One of his two roommates sat at the small table located just outside the kitchen in the small cubby that served as a passage from said location to the living room. Small as said structure was, it didn't leave much room for the actual act of passing, which lead Naruto to emit a small grunt as he slid through, awkwardly sidestepping past before stumbling slightly. Catching his balance in time to shoot the person sitting there a glance, to see if he'd noticed. He had. The raven-haired occupant's obsidian colored eyes were trained on him, absolutely emotionless. His lips parted slightly for a moment, just enough for the words to escape, lathered in a deep richness that could only be produced from one such mouth,

"Put on a shirt."

Without another word he turned back to the paper he read, not even trying to feign interest. Naruto huffed at the lack of attention from the other, not seeming to register the words themselves, just the number of them. Suddenly, a sly smile crept along the fox-like features of the blonde, scar-like whiskers riding up on his cheeks with the expression.

"You know you like it, teme."

The silent male's eye flickered up once more from behind the black, rectangular-rimmed glasses he wore, offering only the raise of a perfectly-sculpted brow. Sasuke had needed glasses ever since his early teenage years as apparently bad eyesight and even blindness had run in his family. Even with this additional aid, a thin, light pink trace of color ran along his eyes like eyeliner, thickening slightly in the inner corners, illustrating the irritation of the skin there. Reaching up, he drew the glasses off his face and folded them neatly, hooking the pair onto the crisp, white collar of his shirt.

The stoic male easily made his way around both the table and the blonde male, continuing on his way to set the mug he'd previously been drinking from in the sink, tap water turned on only briefly to clear the ring of dark coffee left on the bottom. This was when Naruto reentered the scene, having disappeared briefly to grab a shirt that had been deposited on the floor of the one bedroom of the apartment days before. He pulled it over his head as he walked into the room again. Unfortunately, dividing his attention on two such trying tasks proved a mistake moments later when he tumbled to the ground.

A loud crash ensued, as he managed to stagger into the table before pulling the whole thing down on top of him. The cat that had been peacefully sleeping underneath it let out a loud shriek before diving from it's place of haven, just hardly missing being smushed beneath it. The fluffy, white feline stopped and turned to offer a final hiss before disappearing. His thick coat brushed the leg of a certain female emerging into the picture, leaving a thick sheet of shed fur behind on the wet skin. She looked down briefly at the streak of white darting from the room before looking back up at the two of them.

"You almost crushed Kitty Meow-meow," she said, a whining concern clear in her voice. A soft snort sounded from the dark-haired male accompanied with the comment of a, 'should we be so lucky.' It was true the Uchiha prodigy, their roommate, had no liking whatsoever for the little fur ball, and, as accused by Naruto, had already made several unsuccessful attempts on it's life. He turned towards her, leaning against the counter. Their female companion, Sakura, had apparently just stepped from the shower as she sported a white towel wrapped around her head and wore only her exotically decorated undergarments.

As both the males in front of her were very much so homosexual, she felt no need to cover herself as she walked through. At one point, many years ago, she'd been naïve enough to be interested in Sasuke. Naruto had been feigning interest in Sakura in an attempt to avoid his own sexuality and disguise his feelings toward Sasuke, who, at the time, could care less about both of them. So, needless to say, their relationship had been complicated for a long time. But as the years past old feelings died down, Sakura had been reluctant to give up on her childhood love, but found happiness in the happiness of the other two. Over the years the pain faded, and she no longer harbored such feelings for either of them. Though she'd never gotten a chance with the one she loved, she'd gained two brothers.

"Hey, Sakura," chirped the friendlier of the two, his grogginess forgotten upon her presence. The other offering only a nod. She waved her greetings before continuing through. Sakura was only gone a moment or so before the sound of the TV sounded in the room adjacent. Her original intention was to leave it on only as background noise, unaware of the news currently being shown. This intention was forgotten as the words caught her attention, spoken by an older man in a neat, dark suit.

_"...violent outbreaks from mutant formations amongst students in schools that we are introducing the Student's Privacy Rights Act, which allows all schools to have a copy of mutant registration in their area, giving them knowledge of any threatening mutant activity that might happen within their walls..."_

"Guys, come in here..." she called, eyes glued to the screen. Both males entered a short time later.

"What's up, Sakura-chan?" All eyes focused on the same picture, and ears on the same words.

_ "...This is not a way to expose the privacy of the students and their personal lives, but a way to inform educators of any possible problems that may occur in accordance to the schools mutant activity. The education of America's youth is and always has been our top priority and we can only hope this act with further serve the nation." _Cheering erupted from the crowd below him, showing their support for his words. The trio stood in silence for many more seconds before the breathless words of Sakura caught the air, hardly filling the quiet.

"I don't fucking believe it...they can't just do that, can they?"

_ "_It appears that they have," Sasuke said. He was staring intently at the screen, willing it to catch fire right before his eyes. No such luck.

"But that's—that's not fair!" Exclaimed Naruto, his eyes wide. "We're not any different than they are!" Another silence filled the air, one that went on longer than ever before being broken.

**10:45 PM. Grinn & Barrett Bar, Canada, January 17**

With a final punch Logan finished up the last of his drunken opponent, the man falling to the floor with an audible thud. He returned to his designated corner, leaning against the metal bars of the cage as he threw back the remainder of his drink that was faithfully there waiting for him. The bell struck in a short series, signaling the end of the match. He didn't look up, or even so much as acknowledge the sound.

"Six rounds in a row!" blared the announcers voice, putting the bells to shame, his voice boring into Logan's sensitive ears.

"I've never seen anything like it! Un-killable! The Wolverine!" The said man couldn't help but feel a smirk tugging at the edges of his features. If they only knew. The crowd shouted both their approval and lack there of, filling the bar.

"Are there any challengers?" There was chatting amongst the crowd but no one stepped up to the plate.

"Come on, folks, are you going to let him walk away?" Several men near the front laughed, nudging the biggest of the group forwards and giving him encouraging slaps on the back. The muscle-head eventually gave in, taking off his shirt and stepping up to the cage. The door clanged shut behind him, locking into place. Logan set the now empty bottle down as the bell rang the start of the match. But before he could turn to face his opposer, the less-than-sober man grabbed him from behind and forcefully shoved him against the side of the cage. He hit the bars head on, feeling the other man release his shoulders and step back. He stood there a moment, shaking his head slightly to clear it before turning. And, in one swift lunge, plowed his fist into the gut of the opposer. He stumbled back, doubling over, eyes wide. With that Logan hit the other with a ruthless one-two punch to the face, knocking him flat to the ground.

The audience was silent for a moment before erupting into shouts of opinion. Logan wiped a hand across his chin, wiping away the trickle of blood that managed to escape. The scent akin to that of rain wafted over the room of sweat and beer, tickling his nose. He looked up to see a familiar figure standing behind the crowd yet clearly viable, leaning against the bar with her arms crossed securely over her chest. Her long, white hair flowed in light waves over her shoulders to her mid-back, pale blue eyes strikingly contrasting to her chocolate-colored skin. Ororo Monroe, commonplace referred to as Storm, stood tight-lipped and disapproving. Logan exhaled.

_Aw, hell._

He made his way from the cage, pulling his t-shirt, white, over his head and slinging his jacket over his shoulder. He walked right past her.

"Beer," was the curt instruction to the bartender, who gave a nod.

"Logan!" called Storm, walking at a quick pace to catch up with his long strides, stopping next to him as he sat down, jacket tossed over the back of his chair. He pulled out a cigar, placing it between his teeth and lighting. Smoke billowed out the tip as he took a long, well-deserved drag. A glass slid over to him, which he caught with one hand, cigar moving down so as to take a gulp of the alcoholic contents.

"We need you back at the mansion, Logan." This statement roused a gritty chuckle from the male, setting his glass down on the bar.

"Well, isn't that flattering?"

"I'm serious. You heard about the Lincoln Memorial?" He had. Just over a week after the Mutant Registration Act was instated, followed by the Student's Privacy Rights Act, an unknown group of mutants retaliated by blowing up the Lincoln Memorial. How they accomplished this wasn't being released, but the act seemed to do the mutants more harm than good, only reinforcing the publics view of them being dangerous.

"Yeah. So?"

"So it's even more dangerous at the school. We need you there in case something happens. We know we can trust you."

"Can you?"

"Yes." Logan fell silent for a moment after her confident reply. He then stood, pulling his jacket over his arms and sticking his cigar between his teeth again.

"You'll learn," He said before turning and taking off, striding across the barroom to the door. He stopped a moment when she called out his name, hand on the door. He turned his head slightly in her direction, but she said nothing. So he pushed open the door, departing unto the outside as she stared after him. Pausing a moment he took another long drag before continuing on his way.

**7:45 PM. C. Lab, New York, January 18**

The room was large, metal sheets lining the walls. About fifty feet from the ground a path formed from the door on the wall, leading out into a circular platform erected in the center of the room. Charles Xavier wheeled along this path until reaching this platform, sitting in front of a metal desk of sorts. He reached for a certain headgear that he then placed upon his bare head. The metal arms of the gear reached across his forehead, hugging it tightly. He closed his eyes, the red hologram outlining the spherical form of planet Earth formed above the desk, continents littered with millions of tiny, red dots, each one symbolizing a mutant. Should one look close enough, they'd see these dots were actually in the form of tiny people, walking and talking and doing all the things the person they represented were presently doing as well.

This life-like projection of his mentality shone above him, his thoughts narrowing on a trail left by three certain mutants he'd spent the last several days tracking in a series of sessions. These sessions could only last a couple of hours at a time, though, for fear the mental strain would be projected one hundred fold on the sources of his concentration and kill them. Each mutant left a sort of trail by using their powers that he could use to track them, but this particular group had been hard to locate, their trail continually flickering in and out, floating evanescent on the borderline of existence. His eyes flickered open as the signal from the three suddenly strengthened, captured in a stand-still in his mind. He handled it carefully, knowing if he gripped such a presence to lightly it would disappear, but if he held on to harshly he would crush it all together at the promise of devastating reactions to the people of whom it belonged.

So, he delicately maneuvered around his new find and opened up another channel of his mind, one of communication. Contacting people through telepathy was essentially like contacting them on a phone. Everyone's mind had a unique signature through which they could be contacted. One simply had to remember these mental signatures and recall them to tap into that persons mind before relaying the message. It wasn't complicated, and was more akin to remembering a name or a birthday. Once this channel of communication was opened in his students mind, he called out to her.

'_Storm.'_


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I own neither Naruto nor X-men

Chapter Two

**7:45 PM. Dalenna Blvd, Canada, January 18**

Logan had fought his share of fights. He always fought fair unless a little dirty fighting was necessary. Either that or his opponent fought dirty first. That made anything valid. He'd managed to survive mental and physical strains other men couldn't dream of. Yet somehow, Storm had managed to best him into coming with her. He had no recollection of how she did it, or what drove him to follow her, and was completely bamboozled. He figured she must have used her _womanly ways_, damn it. That was why he was currently glaring out the passenger seat window of the red pickup truck as they drove down the way. His first impression was a simple, "What no jet?" But was informed by the pale-eyed beauty that the right engine had been blown out, but it "should be up and working in the next couple of days." So they continued to drive in silence, neither caring to make conversation.

_'Storm.' _The word was spoken clearly in her mind, as if the person speaking was right next to her. So much so she turned to Logan.

"What?" The wolfish man next to her glanced over.

He just raised a half inquisitive, half sarcastic eyebrow. Storm was about to inquire about what she thought she'd heard from him, but realized where the voice had actually come from.

_'Go ahead, Professor."_

_"Have you gotten past the border yet?"_

_"Not yet. I ran into problems."_ Problems getting him in the car in the first place.

_"I trust you dealt with whatever it was?"_

_"Yes, it's taken care of."_

_"Alright. Continue on your way. I found the mutants we were looking for, but I'll wait until you get back to retrieve them. I want you there when they are."_

_"We'll be there as soon as possible." _The link was ended and Storm blinked, glancing over to Logan, who watched, eyebrow still raised.

"The professor needs me when I get back." She explained simply. The other just snorted. They continued to drive, the area around the road becoming thick and wooded. It was several miles after this development that a new one occurred. A male in a heavy, red jacket stumbled from the brush, waving his arms at them as they neared before falling in an exhausted heap on the street. Storm slowed the truck to a stop next to where he sat. She got out, a concerned look on her face at the obviously sick or injured male.

"Hey, you okay?" Logan got out as well on the other side, frowning slightly. Something wasn't right... As soon as this thought was processed the male sprung from his huddled position, grabbing Ororo and spinning her around in one, swift movement. He held her from behind, the nozzle of a sleek twenty-two caliber pressed to her temple. She froze, images of Cairo flashing through her mind. Wolverine rushed forwards, at the movement, halting when he recognized the threat of the weapon. He gritted his teeth, eyes flashing with anger.

In a movement arguably swifter than the males' that got them into the sudden mess, Storm threw one arm up, knocking the hand with the weapon from her head. The gun fired off, bullet firing into the air. The surprise gave her enough of an opening to escape from his grasp and turn, her palm hitting his chest. A surge of what felt like high-voltage electricity shot through the male and his body was launched backwards into the trunk of a nearby tree, his back making impact with the bark before falling limply to the ground. Storm panted slightly, adrenaline rushing through her while Logan's eyebrows shot up, surveying the scene.

_Goddamn!_

**6:03 AM. Apartment room 21, New York, January 20**

Despite the early hour, Naruto was awake. Again. Only this time it wasn't due to him being at the mercy of his easily unsettled stomach, but something much worse. Emptiness. He hugged a pillow to his chest, lying on his side on the floor of the living room. There was only one bedroom in the apartment, which they rotated every couple of weeks. Right now it was Sakura's, leaving Sasuke with the couch, and Naruto the floor. There was an absence of late for the early state of morning, the only streaking in the windows was still soft and blue. His eyes stared at the table a few feet away as he clutched the pillow as if for dear life. It wasn't long ago they'd executed what was deemed "Mission: Kick Ass." He thought he'd feel a satisfaction from it, a wholeness, get back whatever he had when he was naïve to the prejudice of the world against his kind. But he didn't. He still felt empty.

Even after he was fully aware the government wasn't in favor of mutants, he'd managed to live in a with it, excepting it's existence. But all the bills being passed against them, one after another, hot off the conveyor belt, had begun to wear on him and he was no longer able to turn a blind eye to the governments actions. It had been the dead of night (or was it early morning?) that he and his two friends had tipped off the guards.

_"You're going to miss your post at one o'clock tomorrow. We can either put sixteen-hundred dollars in your pocket to ensure this, or we can tie you to a fucking chair. Either way, you're missing your post. So what's it gonna be?" _

That's all it took. A few harsh words from Sakura and they were in. It didn't hurt that their in was said to have been dirty, either. They'd excepted the former, and given them the opportunity to make their statement. Blowing up the Lincoln Memorial. After all, what was such a symbol of freedom anymore besides a cruel joke? Mutants didn't have the rights humans did. Didn't have freedom. He hugged the pillow tighter, burying his face in the soft material, listening to his comrade above hims even breathing. How could he just sleep? Though if anyone could sleep soundly after everything that had happened, was happening, it would be Sasuke. The male never showed emotion, never showed regret. Naruto both admired and feared this trait. But as stoic as the raven-haired male seemed, he knew Sasuke cared about him and Sakura in his own way. Naruto didn't realize he had sat up in thought and was currently staring at the other until said person cracked one eye open, looking at him.

"The fuckin' hell are you staring at, dobe?" All the nice things about him Naruto had been thinking suddenly vanished from his mind as his features sprang into a surprised gape before he shouted, much to loudly considering the hour,

"Not your ugly face, teme!"

"I will fuck you both up if you don't shut your goddamn mouths!" came the shout from the other room. Both automatically, severing any chance for a retort from Sasuke. They exchanged a look, agreeing on a cease-fire. Neither of them dared crossing their pink-haired roommate, she was smarter than both of them and an unbelievable right hook.

Sasuke went back to sleeping while Naruto roamed the kitchen, going through the cupboard and fridge for food. He wasn't actually that hungry, but felt like he needed to be doing something. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the places one would traditionally find food were either empty or held nothing he was interested in eating. Finally, after climbing onto the counter top to peer to the very back of the far right cupboard, he saw a pack of instant ramen. He grinned enthusiastically at the sight.

"Mmm, beef flavored..." he said to himself. He couldn't find anything to go with his ramen, but that was okay. After all, income was pathetic. Once upon several weeks ago, all three occupants of apartment room twenty-one had jobs, which their landlord happy with his two-hundred and fifty dollar rent a month, and bought them enough groceries to survive. But Naruto was fired from his desk job at the Law Firm which entailed answering phones and making appointments, for breaking and entering (in his defense, it was an accident), and Sasuke found it was harder and harder to get a good job with "Assault with a deadly weapon" on his record (this hadn't been an accident, but they claimed it to be in his defense). Sakura's income became their lifeline, which was hardly enough to get by on considering their recent trip to Washington. Naruto tried to hold up a gas station to solve this problem, but had only made away with twenty-five dollars. Everyone pays with credit cards now-a-days. It was obvious to say the three weren't always doing the noblest things with their time. But despite this, under the many layers of bullshit, they were actually decent people. One could see this in the way they cared for each other. Some were more stubborn to show affection than others, but it was true.

Sasuke awoke several hours later to darkness. At first he thought it was simply dark out, but soon realized the slate of black before his eyes wasn't the cover of the night. His breath quickened as he blinked several times, reaching a hand up to rub his eyes. No change. He slowly sat up, fingers brushing the material beneath him, feeling the grainy texture of fabric. He was still on the couch, that was for sure. Slowly placing his legs over the side, he stood. At first he teetered on his feet, unbalanced, but soon was steady again. Taking an uneasy step forwards, he nearly tripped over a pillow lying on the floor. He stumbled, about ready to fall when he felt strong arms steady him.

"You okay there, bastard?" Naruto's voice asked. Sasuke didn't reply, attempting to shrug him off but Naruto persisted, his hands clamped on the others' shoulders. He sat the other male down at the kitchen table, gave him a glass of water, and waited with him nearly an hour in silence until his vision returned.

"...thanks, dobe."

**10:43 AM. The Mansion, New York, January 22**

The jet was alive again, and Jean along with a few others had come to Ororo and Logan's aid, taking them the rest of the way back to New York. Logan couldn't help but realize Jean looked exactly the same as he had left her. Her hair was still red and layered, and she still walked with nonchalance yet a perfect elegance. He watched her on the ride back, the safety strap of his seat buckled in an X across his chest, looking for any sort of change, but found none. Once he realized this, he was left to ponder when he became so sappy. They arrived back at the mansion mere hours later.

"Logan!" called Rogue when Wolverine entered. She hurried over, briefly embracing him in a hug.

"Hey, kid, ya' miss me?" he asked. She tilted her head from side to side, as if weighing the options before replying,

"No, not really." He chuckled. Rogue was his first real friend since he lost his memory, and she'd always have his gratitude, even if she didn't know it. He glanced around to see both women had disappeared.

"Hm."

**2:00 PM. Xavier's office, New York, January 22**

"So what's this all about?" asked Storm upon arriving in the professors office. There gathered was also Scott.

"I've found the three mutants terrorizing Washington. They live together in Osaka, Japan. It is of the utmost importance we find them and convince them to come to the school for protection. No matter how powerful Cerebro reads they are, if they're discovered by the American government they'll surely be killed. Magneto is doubtlessly interested in them as well."

"Professor," said Storm. "Why are we going out of our way to help them? If they planned an attack like that on the government, they have to be dangerous. Are you sure the school is the best place to move them?"

"They are no different than Logan, or Kurt for that matter," stated the Professor. "A person cannot be judged solely by their actions, but the circumstances surrounding them."

"But say they are violent," said Storm. "Will it just be us three?" She was confident in her abilities, as well as the other two's, and was fairly sure they'd be alright should that happen.

"I had originally planned to take Beast along with us as he's a white house official, but he got caught in a meeting."

"What about Wolverine?" She asked. "I think it would be good for him."

"I'm afraid we can't risk any rash decisions on his part, Storm." She didn't reply, only giving a small nod of the head, not willing to argue with the other.

"When are we leaving?" Scott spoke up suddenly, causing both of them to turn their heads in his direction.

"Right away."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I own neither Naruto nor X-men. Reviews much appreciated.

Chapter Three

**2: 14 PM. The Mansion, New York, January 22**

Rogue departed with Bobby at her side after brief conversation with Logan, most of which contained his introduction to the Iceman. Calling out promise of seeing him later, she let the young man lead her away by the gloved hand. He exhaled, hands buried in the pockets of his jacket. The familiar smells of rain and cinnamon apple drifted towards his nose. He looked up to the sight of Storm reappearing, walking down the stairs that snaked around the corner just ahead of him.

"Looks like we got you at a good time, Logan," she said. Jean followed her a few steps behind, hand running lightly over the wooden surface of the railing that paralleled the stairs. "We need a babysitter." He quirked an eyebrow, a movement he found he'd been doing increasingly much ever since his last match at Grinn & Barrett.

"Babysitter?" Storm gave a smile and a nod of her head before walking past him, Jean followed his, tossing him a glance and a

"See you, Logan." He stood there a moment before lighting up another cigar and taking a drag.

**1:12 PM. Apartment room 21, New York, January 27**

Naruto was watching TV, sitting inches from the screen, completely fixated with the colorful cartoon figured running around the scene. His mouth was slightly agape and eyes wide. Sasuke was at the what they'd dubbed the hallway table, as it wasn't really in any sort of dining room or kitchen. His glasses sat on the bridge of his nose, him peering through them to see the TV on the other side of the room, a good portion of the screen obscured by Naruto's head and wild, blonde hair. Sakura soon entered the room. Her expression was worried.

"You guys..." both turned to see her, detecting the uneasiness in her voice.

"What is it, Sakura-chan...?" The pinkette stood there silently for a moment before saying,

"You know how I told you guys that every mutant leaves a sort of residue in the mind of powerful psychics, through which they can be traced?"

"Wait, what?" asked Naruto, glancing between them as he walked up, obviously confused. Sasuke exhaled loudly, clearly agitated.

"Shut the fuck up, you dobe." Naruto frown, automatically becoming defensive.

"Well so-rry, Mr.-"

"You guys!" interrupted Sakura, giving them a pointed look. They both fell silent again.

"It's only a theory, Naruto, that with the right telekinesis technology, people of certain groups could be tracked and I.D.'d by their life force. Though I've reason to believe that something similar is being used to find us after Washington. I didn't want to take any chances and deceived such means by sending out signals of my energy in Osaka. A contact of mine there told me of her suspicions." Naruto slowly nodded, it was a lot to take in. Sakura was always talking about a web of energy that ran through every living thing, and how it was different between humans and mutants. Her ability as a mutant was the ability to manipulate her energy to her will.

"So..." spoke Sasuke after a moment. "What's the problem?"

"What do you think? You know what'll happen if we're caught." She sighed, closing her eyes for a moment before opening them again. "They'll probably give up, and I doubt whoever is looking for us is powerful enough to really differentiate between energy signatures, so we'll probably be okay. I'm just paranoid." She exhaled from the corner of her mouth before saying, "I'm gonna take a bath, put some cucumber slices on my eyes, and go to sleep." With that she turned and left the room.

"Uhh, I think we're all out of cucumbers!" called Naruto after her, Sasuke elbowing him sharply in the side.

**11:45 PM. Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, New York, January 29**

The kitchen was empty, the students curfew having long come and gone. Logan sat in front of the table, leaning back on chair, only the back two legs supporting him. He'd been watching the ceiling without interest for a while now, a toothpick between his teeth, twitching and moving every so often, occasionally switching to the opposite side of his mouth. His arms were folded across his chest, brow furrowed into a slight frown. He turned his head slightly as a sound came within range of his sensitive hearing in the appropriate direction, chair evening out on all four legs again before he pushed it back, standing. It smelled like...he sniffed once more. Scott was walking past the kitchen, looking in and spotting Logan. He said nothing, simply turning his head and continuing on his way. It wasn't long before he heard that the Cyclops had gotten his motorcycle from the "garage" of the mansion and had rode off. Apparently the mission didn't go to well. Not that he cared, mind you.

Jean entered the kitchen next, having already changed out the the leather suit worn on missions.

"Hey," she greeted, leaning against the door frame. He returned the greeting with a nod.

"How'd it go?" She shook her head.

"Mm, not too well. We couldn't find the mutants that were supposedly in Osaka, the Professor thinks one of them must have some sort of ability that allows them to create mirror images on Cerebro."

"Maybe he'd getting old." Jean rolled her eyes, looking away with a slight shake of her head.

**2:14 PM. Apartment room 21, New York, January 31**

Sakura had left for her work hours before, she was a waitress at a diner, and left the two unemployed males to themselves. At first Naruto had the intention of eating what was left of the ramen and then going back to sleep again. But unfortunately he'd already eaten the last of such a food. Without a happy stomach, he wasn't able to fall asleep. So now he was perched on the arm rest of the couch, watching Sasuke read. This went on for many minutes, silent save the distant sounds of the street below their open window.

"...I'm bored," announced Naruto.

"So you've said," the Uchiha replied, not glancing up from his reading material.

"...Do you wanna get something to eat?"

"No."

"Wanna watch a movie?"

"No." The blonde frowned.

"But you're not doing anything!" he yelled, launching an accusing index finger in a wild jab in the direction of other.

"I'm reading."

"Well, that's stupid!" Sasuke exhaled, charcoal eyes flickering up to the other.

"I'll make you a deal then, dobe," he said, closing his book and tossing it by his feet.

"Name it, bastard!" Sasuke turned his head slightly, speaking again.

"I'll humor you. We'll fight. If you win, we'll do something. If I win, you leave and don't return until Sakura does." A grin spread across scarred face of Naruto who promptly shouted "Deal!" before hurling himself forwards from his perch, flying at the other male. The two tumbled off the couch, Naruto landing heavily on the stomach of the other, sitting on him. Sasuke planted his foot on the ground and pushed off, rolling over the other, pulling the smaller blonde under him. His hands snatched Naruto's, pinning them above his head.

"Ichi, Ni, San!" he said in rapid succession before pushing himself off the other, a smirk in place. He straightened out his clothing before regaining his seat on the couch and reopening his book, returning to his activity as if nothing had happened. Naruto lay there for a second, panting. It hadn't taken long, but he was already exhausted. After a moment these feelings dissolved and he was once again the cesspool of energy that made him Naruto. Leaping to his feet, he pulled his hand to his chest, fisted.

"Fine! You've won this round-"

"Shut the door on your way out." Naruto's lips stumbled a moment in confusion as he was cut off before he turned on his heel and stalked out of the room, fists balled at his sides. It wasn't long before he found his way out of the apartment building, wandering through the crowded streets.

**1:30 AM. Alphabet City, New York, February 01**

Scott was speeding down the night streets of Alphabet City, his bike roaring into the quiet air. Suddenly a rather large truck pulled up out of the darkness. In his deep state of mind, he didn't realize it until such a vehicle was practically on top of him. He threw himself from the bike, sliding across the concrete of the street, cement biting into his jacket sleeve and the flesh beneath, tearing the skin of nearly his entire left arm. A loud metallic crash like the crushing of a tin can erupted in sync with the screech of tires, his bike left mangled in the wake of the truck that continued to drive on.

"God damn it!"

Naruto was walking the sidewalk, staying on the far side, of the street, away from the flickering circles of light cast by the posts that lined it. Shouting could be heard somewhere near by as well as the sounds of the TV in the nearby apartments. A baby was crying, and tires were screeching on the road. That Sasuke was such a bastard! Leaving him alone, at night, on the streets of Alphabet City. What was he thinking? The blonde hugged his body against the cold night air as he continued to walk, uneasiness welling in his stomach. Alphabet City was scary at night, that's when people he didn't care to run into came out. The cold air stung at the insides of his throat, dry eyes darting around him. He couldn't get back into the apartment until Sakura got back, which would still be a while as she was working overtime and getting a ride home from one of the chefs. Fucked up as he was, Sasuke would probably let him in if he asked, but Naruto couldn't bring himself to. A deal was a deal, after all.

He walked alone for several more minutes until footsteps, many footsteps, thudded behind him. He hurried his steps, hearing those behind him do the same. Pretty soon he was all out running, looking around wildly for somewhere to go. A hand reached out, grabbing a handful of his jacket and yanking him back. He was suddenly thrust against a nearby building side. He was surrounded by four men, all in similar attires of caps, jackets, and ripped jeans. The nearest street-light had been shot out, so it was hard to make out their faces.

"Dude, I think this is a guy, man," said one. Hope sparked in Naruto's mind, maybe they wouldn't be interested in him, being male. Though it was an easy mistake to make. Naruto had a small, feminine frame and face that was rather pretty for a boy, his lips were round and pink, eyes widely set and a bright shade of blue.

"Whatever, man, I'll do anything ta' get myself a fix," said another. There was laughter from all of them. Naruto's eyes widened. That meant...

"Oh, hell no!" he shouted, trying to run but being held back. He struggled against them until one landed a punch hard across his face, knocking him to the ground, hitting the wall. One of the men yanked him up by the front of his shirt, throwing him back against it. Naruto could feel blood beginning to trickle down from his lip, where he was punched, but forced the pain and dizziness away. One of the men crushed his body against Naruto's, who reacted by kneeing him in the crotch. Hard. The man stumbled backwards, weak at the knees and clutching himself. Naruto was promptly grabbed by the hair and thrown to the ground, the click of a switchblade sounding in the air. His eyes widened, blood turning to ice in his veins.

Suddenly one of the men was grabbed and yanked around, being punched hard across the face. The other three, one of which was still recovering from Naruto's low shot, automatically launched at him. The newcomer ducked a swing of the second, punching him hard in the gut, sending him stumbling back into the two others. The third took a dive, being flipped head-first over the back of the other. The fourth was promptly thrown on top of the third. In mere moments, they were back up, yelling obscenities. He gave the first to attack punch to the gut, lifting his body up slightly as he did so, double-tapping in a second punch, the sound of ribs cracking painfully audible. Another tried to run at him from behind. He turned on his heel, hand shooting up to his temple, fingertips pressing the side of his glasses. A thin, red beam of light shot out, hitting the thug in the chest and sending him backwards, sprawled out on the cement. The three managing to stay conscious made haste from the scene upon seeing this. Naruto stood up, having been staring at the actions from the sidewalk the entire time. The man, now stepping near, spoke.

"You alright?" He had dark brown hair that was brushed across his forehead and wore a pair of red tinted sunglasses. His build was strong, but slim, definitely not bulky despite the incredible strength he just displayed. Naruto nodded, hardly able to speak for surprise. His eyes widened as the remaining thug approached the newcomer from behind, having recovered enough to stand, and apparently wield a switchblade.

"Look out!"

**2:10 AM. Apartment room 21, New York, February 01**

Naruto had managed to drag the unconscious body of Scott Summers back to their apartment without running into any more trouble, and called up to Sasuke for help in getting him up the two flights of stairs. The man now lay on the couch, having yet to regain consciousness. Naruto was fidgeting nervously, staring at his now still savior. Sasuke was now sitting at the table, reading the newspaper.

"You're always freaking reading!" Naruto suddenly exclaimed. Sasuke simply shrugged. After a moment, the blonde spoke again, this time softer.

"Do you...do you think he'll be okay?"

"No, I think you killed him." A silence ensued, making him glance up at the other who was biting his lip, staring at the stranger. He rolled his eyes. "Relax, dobe, I'm sure he'll be fine." Naruto visibly relaxed at the sound of this reassurance, however meanly stated it was. A short time later Sakura entered, having been dropped off at the apartment. She blinked at the sight of the sleeping man crashing on their couch and, mistaking him for a bum, briefly wondered if she'd have to get one of the boys to remove him. But at the sight of Naruto looking more worried than she'd seen him in a long time, she realized it must have been a lot more serious.

Aw, crap.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I own neither Naruto, X-men, or Fruit Loops. Reviews always appreciated.

Chapter Four

**2:20 AM. Apartment room 21, New York, February 01**

"Okay, who is he, and what the hell happened?" Demanded Sakura, looking over the unconscious male.

"Ah, I don't really know who he is..." admitted Naruto. The vein in Sakura's forehead throbbed as she closed her eyes, praying whatever god was up there gave her the patience and compassion to keep her from not slapping the hell out of her friend. Naruto, seeming to catch the annoyance radiating off her, quickly continued.

"This stupid bastard made me go outside, and I was waiting for you to get back when this gang started messing with me. They were gonna kill me! Then this guy came in and kicked all their asses, it was really cool! Uh, anyways, when he was asking me if I was alright, one of them got back up and had a knife!" Sakura's eyes widened.

"He was stabbed?" she rushed to pull off his shirt. "Sasuke, turn him over. Why didn't you tell me he had a knife wound, idiot?" Naruto grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

"Uh, no, um...He disarmed the guy and was fine...then I accidentally tripped him on our way back and he hit his head on the sidewalk." Sakura froze, shoulders stiffening. Sasuke looked over to Naruto, an amused smirk coming to his features. Sakura turned to him, an angry scowl on her face.

"You worried me for that?" she exclaimed, proceeding to box the blonde over the back of the head. "You idiot!" she shouted before storming out of the room. "And wipe that stupid smirk off your face, duck-head!"Both males simply stared at each other, neither one of them quite knowing what to do. Sasuke mouthed 'Period' to the other. Sakura could be quite the drama queen, and was angered quite easily if you knew what buttons to press. Not that any sane person would do that willingly. A groan caught both their attention, looking over the the "guest." He was still asleep. They looked back at each other once again, sighing in unison.

Eventually Sakura reentered and finished her examination of Scott, concluding he had some scrapes on his arm, a couple bruises, and a minor concussion from the fall. The Cyclops, at this point, began to come to, the room spinning around him. The faces of the people around him were blurs, and though someone seemed to be speaking to him, he couldn't make out a word of what they were saying. Sakura, after explaining to him what she was going to do, placed her hands over his chest and allowed her eyelids to slide shut. He drew in a sharp breath at how cold her hands were, even through the fabric of his shirt. They were unbelievably cold, like ice. Had be been able to properly think or move at the time he would've pulled back. Surprisingly, a warmth began to radiate from the freezing hands, clinging to the coldness. The warmth rapidly began to increase in temperature until it felt like his chest had lit aflame. But as soon as she had first touched him his head was engulfed in a strange, eerie calm that lasted even through the burning sensation. All in a matter of seconds the cold and heat neutralized, mixing and forming a pleasant, lukewarm sensation in his chest. It pooled outwards, filling him the way one fills a water balloon.. It poured into his limbs, the pain of his arm and head fading into nothingness. The strangest sensation overtook him, one by one his limbs began to loose feeling to this warmth, as if severed from his nervous system.

Phantom Limb Syndrome is when someone looses a limb and still has the realist sensation that it's there. This was the exact opposite. He knew his arms and legs were still attached to him, but couldn't feel them at all. His skin, too, faded into the warm oblivion until he became nothingness, engulfed only in warmness. Before both Sasuke and Naruto's eyes the flesh of his skin pulled closer to cover the rip and began to weave itself back together. Neither seemed too unbelievably impressed, as it was something they'd both witnessed and felt at one point or another.

**2:43 AM. Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, New York, February 01**

Jean suddenly stopped mid sentence, eyes widening slightly. She leaned forwards, clutching her head. Wolverine stood up, concern tugging at the edges of his features.

"Jean?" The said woman suddenly looked up, eyes somewhat distant.

"Scott's in trouble..." she said.

"What?"

"Scott's in trouble. We need to get the Professor. Now!"

The walls of the Professors office was lined with bookcases. Small books, large books of all different topics. The polished, wooden desk held several stacks of folders, each one containing various amounts of paper between the shiny plastic covers. Two large windows took up the wall behind his desk, curtains of dark color tied limply to the sides. Xavier sat in his chair in the middle of the room, the index and middle fingers of his right hand pressed to his right temple and his eyes closed. Before Jean could tell him of her knowledge, he said,

"Scott is safe. He's injured, but in capable hands." This revelation didn't seem to calm Jean any who asked,

"Can you get a location?"

"Yes, we can go in the morning." Jean looked for the briefest of moments as if she was about to argue, demand that they leave now, maybe. But she kept her mouth shut, nodded, and left the room. Wolverine was left there with the Professor. He gave an awkward nod before turning to leave as well, exhaling and rolling his eyes as he did so. These women were so dramatic.

**10:54 AM. Apartment floor 3, New York, February 01**

Wolverine, Jean, and the Professor traveled down the hallway stretching across the third floor. The brass numbers grafted onto the doors started at twenty-nine and got lower as you walked. After twenty there was a staircase leading to the next floor that started at thirty and went down the hall to thirty-nine. Logan glanced over his surroundings. It sure wasn't the nicest place he'd seen, but it definitely wasn't the worst. They reached door twenty-one, the two falling slightly lop-sided. The Professor touched his fingers to his temple, closing his eyes for a moment before opening them again.

"Yes, he's definitely in here." Wolverine glanced at the other two before leaning reaching out his hand to rap on it several times. For a few moments there was no answer, or even any sign that anyone was home. But, soon enough a young girl looking as if she could be no older than her late teens answered. She was clearly Asian, or at least of Asian descent. Her eyes were a shocking jade, completely contrasting her ethnicity, and her hair was a shade of soft bubblegum pink. No roots were visible, and even her eyebrows were of the same color, an appearance that could easily be written off by a bottle of hair dye and interesting contacts. Despite her wild hair color, she was quite pretty. Beneath her proud forehead and striking eyes were set above a straight nose and a pair of full, pink lips. Her jaw was smooth, leading onto a slender neck and a pair of rounded shoulders. Every feature looked as if it had been hand-carved into a slab of flesh. She was one of those young girls that made people on the street double-take, inspired the artist to pick up his brush, and the pianist to compose a masterpiece. She wore a red tank top, a white circle printed on it with another one inside of it (A target, perhaps?) and a pair of loose jeans that hugged her at the waist, but fell easily afterwards, not particularly clinging to any of her curves.

"Hello, my dear, my name is Charles Xavier, I'm sometimes called Professor. This is Wolverine and Dr. Jean Grey." The Professor introduced them in turn. "I believe you have a friend of mine inside there, his name is Scott Summers." The female looked confused for a moment before her expression brightened in realization.

"Oh, you mean the guy pulled in last night. Yeah, come on in." She turned and left inside the room. The three glanced around at each other before following, Jean pushing Xavier in, followed by Logan. The living room was tangled with a mess of blankets, the couch sticking above them. Lying upon this piece of furniture was Scott, who'd yet to wake up. Jean automatically rushed to his side.

"Scott!" she exclaimed, crouching beside the couch.

"He should be waking up soon," said the pinkette standing not to far away. "I'm Sakura, by the way. Sakura Haruno."

_Sakura. Cherry blossom. Fitting. _Thought Wolverine, glancing over to where Scott was. The one who'd called herself Sakura continued.

"And this is Sasuke. Sasuke, This is Professor, Dr. Jean Grey, and, uh, Wolverine." The male to whom she referred looked a bit older than her and was also Asian, probably Japanese. His hair was black, short and choppy in the back, almost to the point of spikes, and falling slightly longer in the front. His eyes were dark and bottomless, boring into anything he looked at. Though he looked, too, very young he wore more mature clothing than the female. A crisp, white collared shirt and dark pants. Maybe he had been ready to leave for work? His mouth was neutral of any expression as he repeated their names, glancing to each of them in turn. His tone was dark and rich but held a slight texture.

"Professor. Wolverine. Dr. Jean Grey." On the third he held his gaze slightly longer saying, "Not cool enough for a nickname?" Sakura shot a glare his way, which he returned with an entirely blank look, void of any expression. The comment seemed to fly right over Jeans head, for she asked,

"What happened to him?" There weren't any injuries she could see.

"Apparently he got in a fight helping out our friend. He's healed up nicely, though." It was that moment that the mass of blankets strewn across the floor began to move. Out popped the head of another Japanese boy. His hair was an unruly mess of blonde, sticking out at odd angles around his head. The color in combination with his light blue eyes contradicted his ethnicity as much as the girls' did. Three whisker-like scars streaked both sides of his face, giving him an almost cat-like appearance. He yawned, sitting up. Blinking several times, he recognized the many people who'd invaded their apartment room and stood, letting the blankets fall to the floor. He wore an orange T-shirt and a pair of white boxers.

"Hey...who're they?" he asked, glancing at the other two.

"Naruto!" Sakura scolded. The blonde rolled his eyes.

"What? They're fine!" After a firm look he continued. "...with me telling them that my name is Naruto Uzumaki and they're welcome here..." there was a slight pause before he blurted out a misplaced "believe it" and left the room. By this time Scott had started to wake up, his mind in a groggy haze that quickly subsided.

"Jean?" he asked, squinting beneath his visor.

"Scott!" she threw her arms around him in an embrace. The Professor moved over to the young woman, saying,

"Thank you very much for your hospitality. I was wondering if I could speak to all of you three?" Logan stood back, arms folded across his chest, watching the events play out one after another with an expression of disinterest, flickering only slightly at Jean's response to Scott's awakening. By this time Naruto reentered, having pulled on a a pair of jeans.

"Talk to us about what, old man?" this earned another jab to the ribs by Sakura. The Professor chuckled before continuing.

"I run a school here in New York, a sort of a secret school, you might say." Naruto's eyes widened at the mention of a secret. He loved secrets! It almost made the whole school part sound bearable!

"It's a school for people like us. All of us. A school for mutants." A silence filled the room, tension thickening rapidly between them. "Yes, I know what you are. But you are not alone, There are so many more like you, like us. If you come with us we will provide food, shelter, and schooling in a place that won't treat you different just because you're mutants." The silence continued, the three neither knowing what to think or even sure if they heard him right. Sakura turned her head slightly, the first to speak, directed at her two comrades.

_"Dou omou?" _[1] she asked.

_"'Wakarunai wa." _[2] Sasuke replied, his intense stare never leaving the Professor.

"We're going to need a while to think about it," Sakura finally said after several moments. The Professor nodded in understanding.

"Of course."

Not long later the four of them departed, leaving the same way they came. Sakura closed the door, staring at it a minute before turning to face the other two. They stood, staring back at her.

"Well?" she ventured to ask.

"It all sounds...weird," said Naruto. "Ughh, I can't think on an empty stomach." With that he padded into the kitchen.

"Sasuke?" A moment of pause.

"I don't know. It all sounds pretty suspicious if you ask me."

"Can you not believe that someone might just be being nice for the sake of it?"

"No." With that he turned and left for the kitchen as well. She sighed, shaking her head, almost feeling sorry for those two. Naruto had begun munching on a cereal called Fruity Rings, an off brand of Fruit Loops. He looked up as Sasuke entered before returning his attentions to the cereal he was cramming into his mouth. Sasuke walked easily past him, grabbing a coffee mug off the counter and filling it with the steaming brew from the coffee pot. He leaned against the counter, take a drink of the dark liquid. The two were their for a while, having breakfast in silence. Despite all the events the day (even though it wasn't even noon), they didn't speak. They didn't need to.

[1]: What do you think?

[2]: I don't know.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I own neither Naruto nor X-men. Reviews appreciated.

Chapter Five

**4:17 PM. Medical Examination room, New York, February 01**

Scott was lying on his back on the starch white bed in the med room at the school. His chest rose and fell evenly, so much so he could have easily been thought to be asleep, his visor preventing view if his eyes were opened or closed. The metallic doors slid open, the person entering with a click in their heel. Scott sat up, turning to look at the redhead. She wore a white lab coat, the manila folder she held open in her hands, a few sheets of paper between the front and back covers being the object of her undivided attention for the next couple of minutes.

"So?" Scott finally ventured.

"On the surface, all signs appear normal.." she said, but that didn't account for the small frown placed on her face and the amount of attention she gave a supposedly clean bill of health.

"Isn't that a good thing?" He asked.

"Usually, yes, but you'd think...The Professor said he felt something strange about you ever since we returned. After he mentioned it, I felt it too. It's vague, but it's there." she riffled through the papers more, lips pulled into a tight, thin line. "But nothing out of the ordinary came up in the reports. On the contrary, your body seems to be functioning exceptionally. Certainly odd considering you had a concussion and several bodily injuries less than twenty-four hours ago...Can you remember anything that might have have happened to cause this?" He shook his head negatively.

"No, I don't remember anything after I blacked out." She sighed.

"That doesn't help us any. It'd probably be safest if you came in every day for a checkup, just in case." She ran a hand through the red locks of her hair. "I wish we'd realized before we left, we could have asked them about it. Maybe if I left for Alphabet City in the next hour or so-"

"That won't be necessary." They both turned to see Xavier in the doorway. He touched the small, metallic joystick-like handle on the arm of his chair, said furniture pushing forwards, towards them.

"What do you mean, Professor? We can't just sit here, Scott might have something wrong with him." Scott's eyes widened slightly beneath his visor, looking back and forth between them. Why hadn't she put it so bluntly talking to him?

"I agree, but there will be no need to travel to Alphabet City. I was just contacted by the young lady from this morning, and she said the three of them were interested in coming to the school." He decided to withhold the information that the female had said she was interested, and was planning to convincing the other two and get them there as soon as possible.

"Professor, are you sure that's a good idea?" asked Jean. "If they did have something to do with...whatever is happening to Scott, I don't think it's wise to have them here, with the other children." Scott was becoming more and more worried with ever word exchanged between the two. When she'd first explained the situation, it didn't seem like a big deal. But that didn't seem to be the case anymore.

"I don't believe their intention are malicious. And I'm fully confident in that you and the other members of the staff will make them at home." Jean looked, for a moment as if she was about to say something, but stopped herself.

**7:12 AM Auburn Hills, Michigan, February 04**

The forest of Auburn Hills was cold and colorless, the leaves on the trees having long ago been stripped bare from the branches. The soft fingers of dawn had stretched across the sky, streaking it with the first glimpses of light. A man stood amid the trees, dressed in a long, dark overcoat. He was tall and advanced in age. His cheekbones stood out prominently under a pair of blue-gray eyes, lips thin and cracked. This was a man known by both the names: Max Eisenhardt and Eric Lehnsherr, though the one he was addressed by was,

"Magneto." He turned to see the young St. John Allerdyce, or Pyro, as he was more commonly referred to as, standing there. He didn't look old enough to be out of his senior year of high school, blonde hair still vibrant with youth and tossed off to one side. He wore a gray hoodie, the sleeves slightly longer than the norm and falling slightly over his hands instead of ending appropriately at his wrists. "...sir." Even one such hothead knew his place. "Osaka fell through, there's no trace of 'em." Magneto's eyes narrowed slightly. Osaka was supposedly where the mutants in Washington had run to, leaving the country until it was safe to return without suspicion. He turned without a word and walked past the teenager, to where a closer associate of his was. She sat on the stump of a tree. A black headset was pinned to her ear, the hand of the mic traveling over the curvature of her cheek and stopping just before hitting the corner of her mouth. A laptop sat on her bare lap.

"Mystique." She looked up. "Track down our old friend in Osaka, we're leaving as soon as possible."

**9:58 AM. Apartment room 21, New York, February 05**

"Why am I even up this early?" Whined Naruto, watching Sakura. Sasuke was sitting silently on the couch, watching her as well. She had gone out the night before and bought six color-coordinated bags, two for each of them, and was now running around the apartment, collecting clothes and other items.

"Because we're leaving soon," she said as she crammed a pair of white shorts into an already overstuffed, navy blue bag.

"Why? We've done alright by ourselves so far. We don't need their protection!" Sakura closed her eyes for a moment, vein in her temple throbbing in agitation.

"I have to agree with the dobe," said Sasuke.

"It's a school full of people like us, guys."

"We are all out of school," the blonde pointed out.

"It doesn't matter. There we'll be able to train, learn, whatever. There's nothing for us here." Neither of the boys found they could argue that. Sakura managed to pull the zipper shut on the bag and exclaimed "Ha!" with a victorious smile.

The three of them arrived in front of the double doors to the school hours later, holding their belongings. Sakura wore a pair of form-fitting jeans and a red shirt that well a couple inches below her waistline, a white target-like symbol that could very well be a brand icon in the lower left-hand corner of the shirt. Over this she wore a red jacket to shield her arms from the chilly air. Under her arms were two, pink bags. Naruto stood next to her, to her right. He wore a white T-shirt under a thin orange hoodie and matching orange cargo pants. He carried two orange bags. Sasuke stood to his right. The weather didn't seem to be taking much of a toll on him, though, as he wore a pair of white shorts that hit just above his knees and a navy blue T-shirt. They were greeted by Storm in the front, who lead them past the doors marked with a large "X" insignia. The glanced around the insides, a large staircase leading to a higher floor. Several children and young adults stood around, talking or relaxing on the few, scattered sofa's pressed against the walls. A good many of these individuals turned to look at them as they entered.

"Isn't this awesome, you guys? It's so fancy!" exclaimed Naruto, seeming to forget that he was against coming their in the first place, completely enraptured with the place.

"Shut up, dobe."

"Don't tell me to shut up, teme! You can just shut your stupid face!" Storm watched the exchange before glancing over to the female of the group, who just shook her head with a sigh. Apparently this wasn't too unusual for them.

**2: 12 PM. Takeno Beach, Japan, February 08**

The air was dry and sunny, light twinkling off the golden sand. The beach wasn't too crowded, only a few family straying about the sand and water. Even still, Mystique, John, Toad and Sabertooth looked rather out of place in their less-than beachwear, or less-than-wear all together, in the formers' case. But even more strange a sight was Magneto, metal helmet in place and cape billowing behind him as he walked towards a single beach chair. It had been a three and a half hour ride from Osaka to Tottori, where the particular individual they were looking for was currently staying.

A Japanese female was sitting on the beach chair they drew near, sipping a martini with one hand and holding an open book with the other. She was directly in the sunlight, sunblock shining on her smooth, creamy skin. She wore only a white bikini that left little to the imagination and a few gold bangles on her wrists. Not that this slim, risqué outfit didn't suit her perfectly as her body was definitely one to be envied. Her stomach was flat but still produced a wonderful curve down her back and legs, chest ample and showing off a good bit of cleavage. Her hair was bleach blonde, tied back into a high ponytail. Two wisps in the very front of her bangs hung down from the ponytail, cut to shoulder-length. Even so, it reached down her back, nearly to her waist. Her eyes were a clear shade of blue, darker around the outer edges and possessing entirely no pupil. Magneto stood before her, his shadow casting over her. She looked up from her book, eyes meeting his with an innocent, questioning look.

_"Hai?"_[1] she asked.

"Don't pretend to be ignorant, Miss Yamanaka. I know who you are, you know who I am, so let's skip the formalities," said Eric. She twisted her mouth for a moment, staring at him before speaking. Her words were heavily accented but grammatically expectable.

"Mr. Eisenhardt. I had heard you might be paying me a visit. But would you mind we continue this conversation later on? The sun sets in the winter here at five-thirty, and you are in the way of it." His stoic mask didn't falter.

"It would be in your best interest to cooperate, Miss Yamanaka." She chuckled, setting her book and martini in the sand by her chair.

"Fine. What is it that you came here for?"

"Information," he replied. "What do you know about three mutants who supposedly came to Osaka after their destruction in Washington?" He assumed she knew of the Lincoln Memorial, it was big news. And she knew everything. She chuckled.

"What makes you think I would know anything about that? The affairs of the Americans possess no interest to me." There was a smug, challenging look in her eyes as she spoke. "But if you were to ask my professional opinion on the matter, I'd say whenever the government oppresses a certain group of people, that group is sure to eventually revolt. It's happened before, it'll happen again. It seems the stupid American's chose the wrong people to put down this time. We are stronger, and more numerous." She smirked.

"I advise you not to waste my time," said Eric. "you know everything that goes on here."

"And I advise you to not make me repeat myself. I know nothing of your mutants." She stood, reclaiming her martini from the sand, facing him. She took a sip before continuing. "I suggest you go, and take your silly little power rangers with you." Magneto only matched her gaze for a couple of moments before turning, motioning for the rest of them to follow. Ino Yamanaka was virtually untouchable, and it would be very unwise to try anything out in the open like that. They continued until reaching the end of the sand.

"We're just gonna walk away? We can take her!" asked Pyro in angry disbelief. That girl thought she was tough shit? He'd show her!

"Don't be foolish," replied Magneto sharply. "Ino Yamanaka is one of the most powerful crime lords in the world. We wait."

Ino stood, holding her drink in one hand as she watched them walk away. She turned, setting the glass back in the sand again and picking up her phone sitting on one of her flip flops by the bottom of the chair. She opened it and punched in several numbers before holding the device to her ear, listening to the ringing and watching the group disappear from sight.

"_Moshi-moshi, Sakura-chan?" _[2]

[1] Yes?

[2] Hello, Sakura?


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I own neither Naruto nor X-men. Reviews appreciated. For longer Japanese conversation, English will be written with italics. Because going back and forth to understand entire conversations definitely isn't ideal.

Chapter Six

**9:13 PM. Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, New York, February 08**

Upon first coming to the school, the three had been taken to Xavier's office. There, they were explained the rules, curfews, and such of the school. Just because they'd met previously didn't mean they should expect to be getting special treatment, to which they said they wouldn't have any other way. But when asked what classes they were interested in so as to compose a schedule for each of them, they explained that there wasn't one amongst their little group was was still in need of taking high school courses. Looking much younger, Sakura revealed herself to be twenty-three years of age, Sasuke twenty-four, and Naruto twenty-four as well. In regards to Scott's condition, Sakura explained it to be an effect of her healing that should clear up in a couple of days, assuring them that they shouldn't be worried.

The people they met were nice for the most part, Sakura had instantly hit it off with Kitty, and Naruto automatically made friend with The Incredible Nightcrawler, Kurt. No surprise, Sasuke hadn't befriended anyone in particular and preferred to be his usual, anti-social self, though that didn't stop from several of the female students taking a liking to him. They were then assigned rooms. Because of student to room ratios, everyone was given a roommate to share theirs with. Naruto and Sasuke were placed together, and Sakura was placed with another girl attending the school. So, at the end of the day, they bid their good nights and retired. Sasuke and Naruto had tossed their bags in a heap at the bottom of the bunk bed, neither feeling like unpacking as their female companion had doubtless already done. Sasuke was lying on his side on the bottom bunk, reading, as usual. Naruto had changed into a pair of boxers and a T-shirt, stretching his arms over his head and yawning.

"Man, Sakura was right. It's pretty good here." Naruto said, a content smile on his face. Sasuke gave a small nod but didn't look up from his reading material. Watched him a moment, kicking at the pile of clothes he had left on the floor before saying,

"You've been reading a lot lately." There came no reply but the turning of a page. Naruto waited a couple of moments before speaking again.

"How come?"

"Why do you care?"

"Because I'm you friend, damn it." There was a moment of silence before Sasuke answered,

"...I figure I should try to read as much as possible, while I still can." A long silence stretched between them. Naruto's eyes were slightly widened, stunned. He'd expected to get some roundabout, bullshit answer and not actually what at least seemed like the truth, but still had felt compelled to ask. This might have been a chance to finally connect with the raven-haired prodigy, finally be really able to talk to him, but Naruto didn't utter another word and they sat there in silence for many minutes. Finally Naruto stood and walked over to the door, stopping in front of it and reaching to the light switch located beside it on the wall. The lights flickered off as he hit it. Naruto then climbed up and into the top bunk. He lay there for a while without saying anything.

"...Teme? ...Thanks...ya' know...for telling me that." Yet another silence ensued. Naruto sat up for a long time, listening into the quiet, following the pattern of the others' breathing, waiting for a reply. Maybe the Uchiha had committed himself to another spell of silence. Maybe they hadn't connected like Naruto thought they had.

Or maybe Sasuke was just asleep.

**9:13 PM. Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, New York, February 08**

When Sakura told Kitty the name of the person she was to be rooming with, the shorter girl assured her that the two of them were going to get along great, and even offered to show her where her room was. Being that it was almost curfew anyways, she gladly agreed. Sakura arrived in front of the room several minutes later, bid her goodnight to Kitty, and departed inside. Her eyes immediately landed on another female sitting in front of a desk at the far wall, a pen in her hand and a book on front of her. Doing homework, probably. She wore a black, long sleeved shirt advertising a band and a pair of jeans. Her hair was long and dark save the first few pieces of her bangs, which were bleached white. Sakura gave a smile and approached her as the other girl stood up. She extended her hand.

"Hey, I'm Sakura!" she chirped with a certain charismatic friendliness. The female shook her hand, the surface of the gloves she wore was soft and warm.

"Rogue."

"Nice to meet you."

"Yeah, you too...I'm sorry, why are you here?" Sakura blinked, smile fading.

"You mean they didn't tell you about me?"

"No..."

"Oh, well, I'm your new roommate." Rogue's brow furrowed a bit in thought. A couple of her friends had roommates because of the sudden influx of students, but she hadn't heard anything about her getting one. All she could really say was,

"Oh." She must have sounded disappointed because Sakura immediately seemed to back off with the friendliness

"Oh..if you want, I could probably go run talk to Xavier really quickly and he might be able to switch me into a different room before curfew, it really isn't a bid deal-"

"No. Uh, I didn't mean it like that, I just wasn't really expecting you. It's fine." Sakura smiled again.

"Well, good. Am I on top?"

"Uh, yeah." The rather interesting pinkette flashed her another smile before placing her bad at the foot of the bed. She ran a hand through her cherry blossom colored hair before rummaging through the bag, pulling out a pair of pink shorts and a pink tank top. Man, this girl really seemed to like pink. Moments later the soft chiming of Sakura's cellphone went off and she recovered it from the same bag.

"Hello? Ah, _Moshi-moshi Ino-chan_," she continued to hold the phone to her ear as she stepped out of them room, closing the door behind her, as was only polite. _"What's up?"_

_ "Nothing much, Sakura," _ replied the female on the other line, her voice crystal clear despite the distance. _"There was a guy here, came to visit me earlier, though. His name is Magneto, you know him?"_

_ "Doesn't sound familiar, why?" _

_ "He was looking for the three mutants responsible for creating all the havoc in the U.S. A couple months ago, you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"_

_ "Cut to the chase, Ino." _

_ "Give me a second, forehead-girl, and I will." _ Sakura subconsciously brought up a hand to rub said section of her face at the comment. _"The only reason I'm calling you is this wasn't just another fed. He must have somehow picked up the trail you left and I doubt he's going to stop until he finds you guys. Magneto isn't the type to just give up when he reaches one dead-end."_

_ "You didn't tell him anything, did you?"_

_ "What, do you think I'm an idiot? No. Just watch out for him, okay?"_

_ "Will do, Ino. Thanks for the heads-up."_

_ "No problem, just don't mention it. Ever." _ A beeping sound indicated the other hung up. Sakura did the same, walking back into the room.

**12: 41 AM. Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, New York, March 10**

The beginnings of Spring began to blossom to life in the air, the flowers beginning to bloom and trees bare leaves once again, returning faithfully every year. As was previously stated, our favorite trio had long lost use for taking high school classes, but none of them had any experience teaching either. So the three simply did jobs around the school and mansion, entailing everything from manual labor to substituting. It was a fairly charmed life, they'd managed to make some friends and enjoyed the work they did, it was a nice change from how they'd previously been living. When Kurt wasn't around, which he often wasn't, Naruto hung around with Rogue, Bobby, and Colossus, and of course, dragged the antisocial raven with him. Sakura, being as friendly as she was, was friends with just about everyone.

It was just before one o'clock in the morning on March 10th that Sasuke awoke with a start, sitting up in the bed so fast he very nearly smacked his head on the bottom of the upper bunk. His chest heaved with breath, beads of sweat gathering on his forehead and in his bangs. He kept his eyes closed for a moment, trying to calm himself. Upon trying to open his eyes, he found he couldn't, for his eyelashes were stuck together, but not by morning gunk that so many people will occasionally awake to building around their eyelids. Just a week or so ago he'd awaken, not in panic as he had tonight, but awoken in the dead of night, or morning if you prefer, and felt a slight moisture in the corner of his eye. His first thought was that his eyes had begun to compensate for the lack of moisture when closed, as this is not an oddity amongst people either. But, when he'd reached up and wiped the liquid off with his finger, he saw it was colored red and had not the consistency of salt water. It was blood. His eyes had been growing worse, and there was nothing he, Sakura, or anyone else could do about it. So when he awoke that night and found he couldn't open his eyes, worry pierced his chest. None of the dorm rooms had a bathroom adjacent, so he'd have to wander through the halls if he wanted to wash his face at risk of being seen, which he wasn't willing to.

"Teme?" Fuck. It was just like the dobe, always showing up just when people needed him. Sasuke didn't reply, just bringing a hand up to feel his eyelids. His lashes were covered with a thick, crusty substance, keeping them closed. He might be able to pick the majority of it off with his nails, but it would take water to fully remove it from his eyelashes, thus un-sticking them.

"Teme?" The dobe repeated. Sasuke figured if he didn't answer Naruto would think he was asleep. But for reasons unclear to him, against all preservation of pride, he answered.

"Yeah."

"You okay?"

"Yeah..." The upper bed shook slightly as Naruto climbed off the side, landing on the floor with a soft thud. He climbed onto the others' bed.

"You don't sound okay." Had it really been that obvious? Naruto leaned forwards, squinting in the darkness. "Dude, what's on your face?" Sasuke stayed silent. Naruto frowned, getting up and walking to the door and flipping the switch planted next to it on the wall. The lights clicked on without so much as a hesitant figure, and stunning blue eyes went to the figure of his comrade, the owner emitting a gasp after doing so. Blood caked Sasuke's eye line, his eyelashes covered and stuck together with dry crusts of red. Light traces of blood had been smeared down his cheeks in thin streaks.

"Shit! What happened?" demanded Naruto, rushing over to him. He jumped in front of him, sitting on his knees (seiza). He was still completely flabbergasted. "Does that hurt?" He reached a hand out, fingers lightly touching the others cheek, just under his eye. Sasuke pulled back slightly, he wasn't expecting the touch as he couldn't see the other. Naruto pulled his hand back, biting his lip, and looking around. He took the others' arm.

"Come on, let's get you to the bathroom..." The other neither spoke nor made an attempt at moving. Naruto seemed to understand his thoughts, knowing if someone were to see the Uchiha in such a state it would be a major blow to his pride, even more so than it had already.

"Okay, wait here." He got off the bed and left the room. Sasuke sat there in silence, listening. He soon heard Naruto re-enter the room and sit back down on his bed. He felt a soft, wet material against his cheek, wiping away the blood. A wet paper towel? Must have been. He sat in silence as Naruto got the blood from his face. Several minutes later he was able to open them again, a burning sensation in the inner corners of his eyes. Naruto gave a smile. "You okay?" Sasuke blinked several times, willing the burning away.

"Yeah. I'm okay." They stared at each other for a moment before Naruto offered a final grin. With that he got up and flipped off the lights, darkness once again engulfing the room. He got back into the top bunk and lay there without a word. By the time either of them fell asleep, it was nearly morning.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I own neither Naruto nor X-men. Reviews always appreciated!

Chapter Seven

**2:47 PM. Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, New York, February 21. **

"Animals, rather than living alone, live in groups or colonies to survive better. This is called 'self interest.' But some lifeforms, like ants, will sacrifice themselves, for the good of the colony. And a wolf will instinctively place themselves between their young and a threat. These traits are vital to the survival of most species. Something from which even we can learn a lesson." The classroom was darkened to support the projection on the front all depicting scenes that went along with Storm's narration, who stood off to the side. The lights came back on, with it the projection almost completely disappearing.

"I'd like a five page paper about instances in which humanity has used self-interest in the past and how it was advantageous on my desk by the end of the week." Students began to collect their various books and bags, chattering amongst themselves as they left. One of these was none other than Kitty Pryde. She wore an attire of jeans and an orange, slim-fitting shirt detailing a fundraiser she'd been to the month before. Dark, tumbling locks of her brown hair fell just over her shoulders, framing a young face and large, brown eyes. Eyes of which landed on a tall, broad-shouldered figure not to far away. Colossus and her had been together for a while now, despite their age difference. The occasionally-metal-man was talking to another student, but promptly turned when she walked towards him, calling out his name with a smile. He towered above her, having to tilt his head downwards slightly to see the other, and her, upwards.

"Hey, Kitty," he said, his voice dipped in the lightest of Russian accents, which was hardly noticeable anymore. Though his stature was indeed intimidating, his nature was that of a very kind, sometimes even awkwardly so, young man. He ran a hand through his dark hair, revealing a soft smile. "How was class?" Kitty grinned brightly.

"Ah, it was fine! Except we've got another paper due this week. That's like the third." she gave a good-natured roll of her eyes with this. "How's your day been, then?" He gave a small shrug. As he did so two other people approached, coincidentally it was another young, mutant couple: Rogue and Bobby. The female of the two was holding onto his arm, as they walked, long, dark hair pulled back into a loose bun save the locks of white that fell from the front down to her shoulders. There had, months ago, been a brief exchange of feelings between the Iceman and Kitty, rather spur-of-the-moment, that lead to feelings of distaste for her from Rogue, and awkwardness between the two males, neither of them able to admit it. But, within time, those feelings began to diminish. Kitty and Rogue still weren't the best of friends as they didn't talk often, but Iceman and Colossus were on a regular speaking basis, which forced the occasional communication between the females. The two men immediately went to speaking. Rogue easily pulled away from her boyfriend, giving a smile to Kitty.

"Sooo..."

"So!" said Kitty with the smallest, cutesy shrug of her shoulders. "You're roommates with Sakura, right?"

"Yeah."

"She's pretty nice, isn't she?"

"Yeah, she's cool." Rogue didn't do a lot of talking to the newcomer pinkette, but she didn't bother her. The two just stared, slight nodding of the head coming from each of them as if it atoned for the awkward air about them. Kitty bit her lower lip slightly. She'd like to become friends with the other, but there was one problem: Rogue intimidated the shit out of her.

**3:12 AM. Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, New York, March 04. **

They'd never been asked to show their powers. Naruto didn't doubt the old man already knew, but the lack of pressure was nice. The blonde lay sprawled out on a couch in one of the many hallways students sometimes relaxed on outside of classes. He closed his eyes, simply breathing in. They'd spent so long in hiding. The prejudice of the world had kept them caged, pretending to be people they weren't for the sake of their very survival. Now to be in this place where nobody cared...it was refreshing. He knew deep down they wouldn't, couldn't, stay forever. It was like that for them, constantly moving about and keeping their heads down. They'd always felt to have a mark on them, with all the trouble they'd been in, and this last event at the memorial reinforced the feelings ten-fold. He sighed, rolling over on his side, arms drawing into his chest. He really didn't want to leave...

"Naruto?" The blonde looked up and sat up at the sound of his name.

"Huh?" Storm approached him. She was dressed in a pair of silk pajama pants and a matching top of lavender color.

"What are you still doing up, sweety?" She asked, regretting the words as soon as they left her mouth. She sometimes addressed the children by such pet names and had forgotten Naruto was in his twenties. He just looked so young! But the blonde didn't seem to notice the weirdness of the name and just leaned back against the couch again.

"Nothin', I just couldn't sleep." He looked quite the contrast of his words. He wore a pair of gray, loose-fitting sweatpants substituting as pajama pants. They'd been slightly to big when purchased and as a result he had to roll them at the waist band. Even still, they clang low on his hips, leave a few inches of skin viable before the hem of his orange beater when he stood at his full height, however little it might have been. She noticed a edge of black, swirling ink visible just before the hem of said garment of the torso. A tattoo, maybe? He pulled the edge of the fabric down slightly to cover it as he realized she was looking. She blinked and looked back up at him with a small "Oh", realizing how rude she must have looked. A slight blush coming to her features, she uttered an embarrassed apology, receiving a dismissing shrug as a reply. Storm's head snapped to attention as the voice of the Professor interrupted her thoughts.

_ 'Storm. Magneto is here. Now.' _Wolverine could already be heard lumbering down the nearby staircase, the others following hot on his heels. Many of the children had woken up and began to wander out of the rooms. Storm quickly got up after issuing a "Stay here," to Naruto and hurried down the hallway, telling children who strayed about to go back to their rooms, but not stopping. Naruto sat up, alter, watching her. It might have been because of genuine concern for the light-haired female, or it might have been because he was attracted to things he was told not to do that Naruto did what he did. But for whatever reason it was, he looked around before getting up and running after her.

The double doors flew open, Magneto standing behind them, his arms outstretched. Mystique was to his right, Sabertooth to his left, Pyro to her right, and Toad to his left. His arms lowered to his sides as they entered, Cyclops, Wolverine, The Professor, Jean, and Storm having just arrived.

"Charles," Magneto greeted with a slight inclination of the head.

"What are you doing here, Eric?" By now a good number of students were standing around, keeping their distance but watching intently with eyes wide and mouths agape. Sasuke and Sakura, made their way through the crowd, looking around for their friend. Spotting a mop of gold hair, Sasuke pushed his way over, followed by the petite female.

_"Naruto!" _He called. _"Daijoubu ka?"_[1] Naruto looked over at the sound of Sasuke's voice.

_"Hai, Sasuke-teme,"_[2]he replied. Sasuke came to stand by him, looking out at the commotion.

"What's going on?" Asked Sakura, the former only responding with a shrug of his shoulders.As the moments progressed it became increasingly clear that Magneto wasn't there to declare war against his old friend, but to offer a sort of proposition.

"Mystique has uncovered an organization run by a man called Henry Tomair." He paused a moment before continuing. "Tomair was a scientist who trained under William Stryker before taking on his own studies on mutants." He closed his eyes a moment. "You could say his experiments are in a whole different league."

**5:58 AM. Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, New York, March 04. **

It had been decided that Xavier would dispatch a couple of what the children fondly called _X-men_, to travel with Magneto and observe the holding place for these so-called experiments. He was confident this wasn't some sort of plot of his old friends' to capture them, that wasn't the metal-masters' style. Naruto exclaimed that he was eager to join them, and Sakura assured Xavier that each of them were capable of protecting themselves exceptionally well. Sasuke had remained silent. Xavier had accepted their offer. None of the others' agreed with this decision, but the Professor undoubtedly had his reasons. There was no time to test their abilities in the Danger Room, much less fit them with uniforms, so the three came in their sneakers and T-shirts, ready as they'd ever be, at least in their eyes. The jet was started, Storm piloting and Jean beside her in the front. The rest were assembled behind them, strapped into the seats metallic seats.

Storm couldn't help but glance back at the Pyro, who sat slumped in his seat, flicking his lighter on and off to watch the flame dance, the only form of entertainment he seemed to be able to find. They had been reasonably close at the school before John left, She had always thought her and the boy were similar, and had taken a liking to him. She didn't turn back again, eyes trained forwards on the sky in front of her. It was too late for that.

Naruto glanced over at Sabertooth, or rather the long, yellow claws that protruded from his fingertips. Every time the beast flexed said fingers, the nails clicked in turn against the metal armrest of his seat. He twitched with each click, looking up for his eyes only to meet Sabertooth's. He gave a big, strained grin only to receive a grunt and the gaze shifting back to the seat in front of him. He leaned back in the seat, sighing and looking over to his teammates. Sakura had her nose in a book, expression shifting ever so slightly once in a while. Sasuke had his head inclined into a slight bow, eyes closed and arms folded across his chest. One could have easily made the mistake of thinking he was asleep, but Naruto knew better. As if hearing these thoughts, the raven's charcoal eyes opened and turned upon the blonde, lips tightening and expression turning into a frown.

"What are you looking at dobe?" Naruto quickly became red and flustered at the comment, shouting,

"Teme!" at the other before turning back to face the seat in front of him, huffing in embarrassment. That wasn't the first time he'd been caught looking at the other male.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid! _

**12:16 PM. Undisclosed Location, Two years prior.**

The round, green tennis ball had been hit back and forth for sometime now, making a small _thwup _every time it hit the ground. On one side was Ino Yamanaka, her long, blonde hair tied back in a high ponytail, a few wisps escaping and tucked behind her ears. Her sport apparel consisted of a white, short-sleeved top accented with purple lines off the sides and a purple skort-like bottom. A couple of bodyguards stood off to the sides of the court, silent and ever on the watch. It had been hotter than usual, the sun beating down. Along with the exercise she was getting, beads of sweat began to build on her brow and glisten off her arms. She'd been at it for a while now, grip on the racket becoming strained and feet starting to ache. As her opponent ran off to collect another tennis ball she stopped, wiping her arm across her forehead to clear it off sweat. A man approached the side of the court, dressed neatly in a suit with a briefcase at his side. She noticed this. He didn't look too out-of-place considering she was often visited by people of similar appearance in dress, offering her various deals, rarely legal. After a few moments and the end of the game the female departed, picking up a water bottle faithfully waiting for her on a nearby bench. She tilted her head back and drank, the water refreshing and welcomed.

"Ms. Yamanaka?" came the voice of the man, approaching her. She raised a perfectly groomed eyebrow. She brought the water down, glancing over to him.

"And you are?" she asked, raising a perfectly groomed eyebrow. He gave her his name and told her he was a scientist. She didn't inquire about his work, she wasn't interested.

"Sorry, do you have an appointment with me or something?" When he replied negatively, she chuckled, shaking her head in amusement and motioning to a nearby guard with her hand that was free of the water bottle. The said guard approached and began to escort the male away from her when he spoke called out,

"I know what you are!" she had turned and began to walk away. But upon these words she stopped and turned to look over her shoulder, eyes narrowing. "I'm experimenting with human research, to influence the gene pool into speeding up evolution and making humans extinct within the next three generations." She turned fully, motioning before the guard to leave. He did so.

"So? What have you come to me for?" He licked his now rather chapped lips, holding up his briefcase in front of her as if to illustrate his point, and doing a very poor job as it was closed, concealing any work inside.

"I need funding for my research and team from someone accepting of...unconventional methods." She paused, thinking for a moment. She stepped forwards, features turning into a smile.

"It seems you've gotten my attention. Come into my office and we'll talk, Mr. Tomair." With that she turned and continued in the direction she'd previously been walking, ponytail swinging behind her.

[1] Naruto, are you okay?

[2] Yes, Sasuke-bastard.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: I own neither Naruto nor X-men. Reviews fuel chapters.

Angel897: Thanks for the review, it was exciting to get a long one^^. I can't answer to many of your questions because it'd ruin things later in the story, but I do intend on them still having shinobi-like traits to be explored through the story.

Chapter Eight

**11:01 AM. Jet: _Monica_, Alkali Lake, March 04. **

"Seriously, this is so cool! It's like we're on a helicopter!" exclaimed Naruto, who had long not only gotten over the initial embarrassment to of being caught staring at Sasuke, but completely forgotten it all together. He was watching with wide eyes the descent of the jet to the ground.

"Except for that we're on a jet, dobe," The raven replied, not bothering to lift his head, or even open his eyes.

"You're missing it! You're missing it!" he shouted, face pressed against the window of the jet. Originally it had been Sasuke by the window, but he had given it up after relentless pestering by the blonde. "We're landing, teme, landing! And you're missing it!" The jet finally came to a rest, the constant roaring fading into a dull hum before silencing completely. Naruto jumped up, ready to lunge from the jet and frolic through the area they'd landed on.

"There's something I'm still not sure of," said Jean. Storm looked over from her role as pilot, unbuckling the belt that crossed her chest in an 'X.' "Why would Tomair use Alkali Lake as a base?" Storm opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted by Magneto calling from a couple seats behind.

"He has a fixation with a Stryker case from decades ago, my dear," he said. "For all we know, he could be trying to re-create it."

"What was the case?" Storm asked, turning to look back at him.

"No one knows," he replied. By this time he was standing as well was Mystique at his side. They left the jet. The lake was full and shimmering under the beams of sunlight. They didn't mingle but rather strayed into two defined groups: that of the X-men and Magneto's team. The grass hadn't been cut in a while, gracing the members' ankles as they walked. They walked for several minutes towards the wall and spillway that lead into the supposed base of Henry Tomair. When they neared Jean suddenly grasped her head with her hands, eyes clenching shut with a sudden gasp. The majority of them stopped, looking back.

"Jean?" Storm rushed over to her, a hand falling on her shoulder. "Jean!" said redheads eyes snapped open again.

"We gotta get out of here." Storm looked confused for a split second, to which Jean yelled a frantic "Now!"

"Back to the Jet!" Storm shouted at the others. She and Jean had been friends for a long time, and she knew these "rushes" Jean got weren't to be taken lightly. They turned only to find a trio of people standing in their way. In the middle was a man in his middle ages, wearing a dark sweater and dark pants, holding a clipboard firmly to his side. His hair was for the most part brown, but starting to gray around his ears. Beside him, to his right, was a young girl. She was of medium stature, locks of strawberry-blonde hair falling in light waves over her shoulders. Her head lolled off to one side, mouth slightly agape and expression vacant. Her body weaved uncertainly back and forth, as if she could tip over from lack of balance any minute. To his left stood tall was a young man, hair swept messily and black in color. His appearance was a stoic and cold one, clad in all gray. His eyes were just as vacant as those of that described before him, but he stood upright, gaze ahead of them.

"Who the hell are you?" Naruto blurted out before anyone could stop him. The definite female of the three craned her neck to look at them without raising her head at a rather painful-looking angle, her eyes seeming to connect for the first time on any level, but not fully seeing them.

"Naruto," Sakura whispered sharply, reaching forwards, grabbing his arm. He man in the middle gave a polite smile and inclination of his head.

"I am Mr. Henry Tomair. It's a pleasure to meet you. I was very excited when I first started to pursue Mr. Stryker's work, but finally being here is quite the thrill."

"What do you want?" demanded Storm, not taking her eyes off the three.

"To indulge," he replied, stepping back once. "Please, humor me." The two around him then stepped forwards. It seemed almost ridiculous that Tomair would send out only two people against the group of both Magneto and Xavier's men, but there was an air of confidence around the man in addition to the small smile and crow's feet above his eyes. This threat didn't seem to impress Eric, who allowed a small smile to cross his features before he turned and began to head off, associates following him.

"Hey!" Jean called, turning wildly around to see them departing at the moment of danger. Magneto bothered neither to call or turn back. They'd reached a dead end on their search, and facing Tomair now risked playing a deadly domino effect that risked toppling the outcome of their careful planning. And that he could not allow. Almost as if Tomair knew these very thoughts, he began to chuckle, but not comment on the leave. It didn't matter enough to comment. Magneto wasn't who he was after. What was very on cue but seemingly surprising was the act of the dark-haired male stepping forwards. He suddenly disappeared, reappearing in front of Wolverine and delivering a punch to his jaw. There were no warning signs of his apparition, only blunt execution.

Logan let out a grunt of surprise as his head snapped to the side under the force of the man's fist. He aligned his neck with a twist and a crack, grunting as he did so. Before he could come back with a strike of his own, the back of the stranger's attire was yanked by Naruto with a triumphant shout, spinning him to deliver an attack of his own. With another non-warning the male disappeared, this time only going far enough to get out of the way of the blondes' onslaught and throw a series of punches to his stomach. Naruto attempted several blind attempts at punches, but it was clear the other was simply to fast.

Meanwhile, the strawberry-blonde female made no movement, but a blue current formed around her in a semi-circle, rushing out in a wave to where Jean, Storm, Sakura, and Sasuke were. The three let out various exclamations, the ground beneath them pulsing with energy and knocking them to the ground.

"Sasuke!" called Sakura. She had looked over at how the other two were fairing and came to a decision. "We'll handle this, you go help Naruto!" The raven looked over at her for a moment, questioning her judgment in only the briefest of flickers before nodding and hurrying over. Sakura now focused her attention of the female in front of her, brows knitting. Another pulse of energy shot threw the Earth, but the three were expecting it this time and didn't quite fall over. What they weren't expecting was ribbons of color shooting up from the ground and ensnaring them. As soon as it wrapped around them Jean cried out at an instant, agonizing pain in her head. She threw said back, mouth open but now silent, eyes squeezed shut. Storm snapped her head in the direction of the other, calling out her name but getting no response. The fabric continued to squeeze them, steadily growing stronger surely until they would breath no more.

"Storm!" Sakura called out. "If you can get me out of here, I think I can get to her!" Storm's eyes widened, looking between them for a moment before the iris' faded into the backdrop of her eyeballs, all one glassy white surface. As this happened the wind picked up, blowing her hair around her face. Dark clouds rolled over the sky, thunder booming. A crack of lightning struck the ground next to their assailant, dirt spraying up on contact and raining back down on her. The dazed female stumbled back several moments afterward in reaction to this, and in that moment Sakura felt her bindings grow just a little weaker but tighten just as the opposing female's concentration was back. It seemed the binds took a nice bit of intent to maintain, Sakura quickly decided. Good. Lightning continued to rain down in rapid succession, and at the opportune moment, she escaped.

Naruto and Wolverine were finding it quite impossible to land a hit on their foe as he flickered about untouched, striking them whenever he found an opening, with was often. Sasuke had joined the struggle and at first reached the same result. Wolverine lunged, claws drawn, and just narrowly cut through the after-image of their opponent. Letting out a low growl from the back of his throat he whipped around, trying to catch sight of him again. The boy with the dark, spiky hair, who's name he'd never learned, closed his eyes and for a fleeting moment Logan mistook this for a sign he was about to faint. But before action on his part could be taken, the boy's eyes snapped open again.

But something was...different. It didn't take long for the wolf to pinpoint this small, but significant irregularity in Sasuke's appearance. His eyes, once bottomless, obsidian pools had become a rich crimson in color, absolutely brilliant around the pupil and fading darker to near black around the edge of the iris. With that he charged, landing a punch straight to the face of their quick attacker, catching him for the first time since the battle began. His fist landed right on the nose, sinking in with a _crunch_. His hand was pulled back and another was delivered to his gut. The hand assaulting pulled back and another was landed to his gut, doubling him over.

Before a third could possibly be pulled the male disappeared again. These movements happened in such rapid succession it left Logan momentarily stunned. Though it would be impossible to prove, the actuality of the situation was that the teleporter hadn't made haste due to Sasuke's attack, but had been planning it beforehand and received the beating just before he could, pure mental memory, akin to muscle memory, allowing him to do so under the distraction of his face being crushed in. He reappeared several feet away from them, clutching his nose with a loud cry of pain.

Naruto sprang from behind the distracted male, who whipped around and delivered as strike to his face. What should have been a painful-sounding _click_ of Naruto's head snapping to the side under the force was instead a loud _pop _and what was supposedly Naruto disappeared in a puff of gray smoke. Green-haired-boy gripped his hand, frowning. A...substitution of some sort? No way, what he hit genuinely felt like flesh...just before it gave under his and, sinking in and through as if he'd punched a balloon and even popping into nothingness in accordance to the same theme.

Another Naruto grabbed him from behind in his second distraction in a bear hug as yet a third ran around, landing multiple punches. Unfortunately, though bound, he still rose his feet, planting them in Naruto's chest, forcing him backwards and eliminating whatever it was that held him. Surprisingly the Naruto he kicked didn't vanish like the others, but tumbled back with a cry of surprise, landing on his back. A searing pain pierced his chest and the green-haired boy looked down to see three blade protruding from his chest, blood glistening around the exit wounds. Wolverine stood behind him, arm stretched out, knuckles only an inch or so from his back. After a moment his claws retracted with a metallic scraping back into his hands. He slowly lowered his hand back to his side as the boy collapsed onto the ground. Naruto's eyes were wide as he pushed himself back to his feet, shocked gaze trained on Wolverine. Said wolf turned to look at the raven who, though not shocked or in possession of any emotion, stared as well, eyes having at some point changed back into their previous onyx.

All three, as if on cue, remembered the women and looked over to see the three had finished off their opponent as well, who had had stepped behind Tomair, now standing. He put his hands together, the clapping sounding through the tense, silent atmosphere.

"I do say you have exceeded all my expectations," he said, the comment seemingly directed at all of them. He didn't show any empathy or even glance at the fallen, bleeding young man. A whirling was heard in the distance, growing louder and louder with each second as a helicopter came into view, lowering until it was hovering above them, a rope latter hanging off the side. "Excuse me, my dear," he said, stepping past the female behind him to shared a minimal reaction, just blinking once or twice.

"Tomair!" Jean yelled after him as he approached the latter and grabbed a hold of the fourth to last rung with his hand, foot of the same side stepping on the lowest rung. He looked over to her.

"I'd love to stay and chat but I've got to fly!" he called over the loud whirling. They began to hurry forwards towards him but it was too late, and the helicopter had already began to rise and take off, taking him with it. They looked to each other for just a second until the bodies of Wolverine and Sasuke were covered with blue, streaks that criss-crossed their flesh like a railroad track, save it was void of any patter before they, too, vanished. Though much more literally, as there was a moment of blur, and they were gone.

"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted in surprise, lurching forwards to his comrade a moment to late. His voice was matched with Jean's shout of

"Logan!" in unison.

"_Kuso_[1]!" Naruto exclaimed, thrashing his head to one side. "_Kuso_!"

[1] Shit!


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: I own neither X-men nor Naruto. Reviews appreciated.

Afallenheart: Thanks for your review! I'm kind of swamped in work right now so I can't be sure how often I'll be posting, but I'll try to keep it up for you!^^

Chapter Nine

_**Time Unknown. Location Unknown. Date unknown. **_

"Hey. Kid. Wake up." The world was a blur to Sasuke, his vision focusing in and out as he first opened his eyes. The sound of a low groan erupted from his throat, something he at first didn't recognize as his own. Throbbing. Pounding. Aching. Everything hurt. A hand was brought up, palm pressing against his forehead. Only after several moments did he lower his hand again and prepare himself to sit up.

Wolverine had awoken to find himself in a room with four, walls of clear blue, the room outside to dark to see. A light hung above on the ceiling, illuminating the room. Against the far wall were two mats. It was quiet. Almost silent, in fact. Not something one typically expected when taken captive. And he'd been taken captive more than once in his life. Looking over he saw the other sprawled out in the middle of the room. It was the kid from before, dark hair splayed out over the floor and eyes closed. He called out to him. The boy's eyelids slid open and he blinked a couple of times, groaning. Sazzu- Saku- whatever his name took a moment to compose himself, pressing his hand to his forehead, before he was able to sit up, shaking his head slightly as if to clear it. He looked up at Wolverine, frowning slightly.

"Where are we?" he asked. The wolverine crossed his arms across his chest.

"I don't know." Did he really have to ask? Sasuke pushed himself to his feet before walking to the nearest wall. The surface was colored a light blue, but not opaque. In fact it was...pulsating. What was this? He reached a hand out, touching the wall only to feel a sharp jolt enter his fingertips and spread up his arms on contact. His hand yanked back, wrist flicking over his shoulder as he did so.

"It's some kind of field made out of chakra, encasing us," Wolverine heard the other say, back to him. Chakra...that was the principle of a lot of martial arts and Japanese legend. His belief in that stuff was minimal, but hey, he'd bite.

"Okay. So how do we destroy it?" There was a moment of quite as Sasuke surveyed the wall. He'd heard Logan's initial statement, but considered it second to his own musings. The wolf found this very irritating but said nothing for the time. Sasuke finally spoke.

"It needs to be rivaled by a stronger chakra...to shatter it."

**12:00 AM. Alkali Lake, March 05.**

Naruto grabbed the green-haired boy by the collar, lifting him up and shaking him, demanding the location of the two. The male gave a smirk, blood seeping through his lips and trickling down his chin.

"You're gonna have to kill me," he said in a rasping voice, the parting of said lips allowing a thicker rivulet of blood to spill out.

"Where are they?" the blonde demanded again. The other tossed his head back, laughing in hilarity. This out-of-place laughter proved rather disturbing and creepy. Before further action could be taken, the boy disappeared right out of Naruto's hands, feeling almost as if he'd turned to smoke and billowed right from his hold. He grasped at the air for a second, frantically.

"Fuck! Fuck! Shit! Damn it!" Naruto screamed, hands raking through his hair and eyes squeezed tightly. How could he let this happen?

"Naruto!" Sakura cried. "Naruto, it's not your fault!"

"It's all my fault! If I hadn't fucking-" Without letting him finish the pinkette gave him a hard smack across the face, throwing his head to one side, eyes widening.

"Listen to me, Naruto," she said sternly. "I know how hard this must be for you." She knew full well Naruto's denied attraction to the raven. "But it's not your fault. And we're gonna find him. Me and you."

"No," interjected Storm, taking a step closer. "All of us." Jean gave a nod of confirmation.

"If we got back to the school, the Professor should be able to track them down using Cerebro. When he tried before, their powers were being masked by some sort of barrier. But with Logan and Sasuke with them, we should be able to find them."

"And then what?" Sakura asked. "We just waltz in there and hope we're prepared enough to take them on?" It didn't seem at all likely to her.

"We can come up with a plan. We've done it before," Jean replied. "You're friend will be okay. We'll do everything in our power to get them back."

"You'll do everything in your power?" asked Naruto. "Did we not just help you guys dealing with those psycho's? We're coming with you guys." Jean opened her mouth, looking as if she were about to protest this idea when Storm interrupted.

"Of course you are. Now let's get back." They then headed back to the jet in silence.

When they'd arrived back at the school, Xavier had already sensed the disappearance of the two. Using Cerebro, they tried to find the two. After hours of searching, the Professor finally managed to find them. He'd never seen anyone masked under such concealment.

Naruto was in his dorm room, pacing back and forth, hands continuously combing through his hair. Damn it, this was all his fault... Sakura entered, quietly shutting the door behind her.

"Naruto, you have to calm down. We'll fin them."

"I know, Sakura, I know..." Even his own voice saying it, it wasn't very reassuring. They had nothing to go off of! "I just don't know about this. The uh..X-men... they're..."

"I know what you mean," Sakura replied, fingers running through the cherrette locks of her hair. "I think it would be best if we went at this by ourselves. After all, we don't know anything about these guys' abilities. We can't risk getting held back." Naruto nodded solemnly.

"So what do we do?" he asked.

"They're waiting until tomorrow morning to leave. So I say we head out tonight."

"How're we going to get there?" Sakura turned, opening the door behind her and peeking out. Seeing no one in the hallway, she closed it and turned back to him. A small smile tugged at the left corner of her mouth.

"_How are _we going to get there, Naruto," she corrected. "And we, Naruto, are commandeering ourselves a jet." At first he had no reaction, just stared at her.

"Uh huh." She started back. Several seconds passed before realization hit him that she was, in fact, no kidding. "Whoa! You mean—I mean—do you even know how to operate a jet?" He didn't doubt Sakura was smart. She always received top marks on pretty much everything, but operating a jet? That was a little much even for her.

_**Time Unknown. Location Unknown. Date unknown. **_

Wolverine awoke to darkness. He didn't open his eyes at first, but rather just listened. After a few moments, when he was sure he was alone, his eyes opened. Complete and utter black. He tried to sit up but found he was bound at the wrists and ankles. What happened? The last several hours were a blur.

A loud click rang out, followed by a deep humming. Only seconds later the lights flickered on. They were green, green lights blocked in rows on the ceiling. Logan was tied to a metal board suspended over a glass, rectangular case filled with water that almost glowed with the light and color. Turning his head, he saw the room around him was neither cased in by walls or the blue crap from before, but stacks and stacks of large boxes, covered by a sheets of thin plastic. The only entrance or exit he could see was a narrow path free of boxes. It was through here that a figure emerged. As they came into the light, Logan recognized him as none other than Tomair, the bastard that got them there in the first place.

"Mr. Wolverine," He said, approaching to stop about five feet shy of him. He was checking over a clipboard in his hand. "Your vital signs are looking good. Spectacular, in fact. And that magnificent metal that runs through your body is quite intriguing."

"What do you want with me?" Logan growled. Tomair's eyebrows raised.

"Didn't I just tell you? You and your friend are interesting to say the least. And I've always had a curiosity for interesting people. Mutants, especially. In short, Wolverine, you are going to be a key component in the development of the new world. If nothing else, take solace in that. Now," he flipped through another couple of pages attached to the clipboard. As he did so a younger man approached with a metal tray. He went to work preparing a series of drugs on the tray. "Can you tell me...are you allergic to any foods? Medications? Material?" Logan bared his teeth in a snarl.

"Fuck you." Tomair's eyebrows shot up. He began to chuckle.

"Well, looks like someone's on the up and up. Makes people say some crazy stuff."

"...Actually I haven't administered anything yet..." said the young man. Tomari blinked before looking back to Wolverine.

"Oh...I guess he's just a bastard, then," He talked as if this was the first of his "patients" that had ever spoke back to him. "I'll take that as no allergies. Shoot him up." Without hesitation the young man stepped forward and injected him while he struggled against his bindings.

**2:00 AM. Alkali Lake, March 05.**

The jet lit up and took off into the air. Naruto sat in the front passenger's eat, knuckles white as he gripped the armrests. Sakura tapped a couple of buttons on the control panel.

"You...sure you know what you're doing?" Naruto asked, slowly turning his head to look at her.

"Yeah," she replied.

"So you've flown a jet before?"

"I hadn't ever flown one when you asked me two hours ago. So, no, Naruto, I've never flown one now, either." Naruto sat further back in his chair, gulping. The jet took off the ground, a little shaky at first, but eventually smoothing off, the engine roaring.

"Someone must've heard us!" Naruto shouted over the noise.

"I think you mean someone is hearing us," Sakura replied, seeing lights in the mansion flickering on and glowing in the windows.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: I do not own X-men or Naruto. Reviews Appreciated.

Chapter Ten

**5:01 AM. Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, New York, March 05. **

It had only been a few hours since the two teenagers had made off with _Monica_, and they hadn't been seen since. While most of the staff was shocked two children could be capable such, much to their surprise Xavier didn't seem to be taken aback by this news, almost as if he was expecting it. Sure, he bowed his head for a moment and shook it slowly, it was obvious he was disappointed, but it hadn't caught him by surprise. What did surprise him, however, was the news that reached him not long after: Only hours before the X-men were ready to depart, a body was discovered outside the premises. Male, average build, and at the height of 5'9.

The corpse was remarkably intact, being no such state of mutilation. All but that it was missing a certain feature: a face. Someone seemed to have taken a blade and sliced a curvature along the forehead before sliding their fingers into the pocket as one might an envelope to retrieve its contents. With that the entire face was peeled off, revealing the mass of bloody muscle and bone below it. It was still warm, Jean estimating the time of death to be only minutes before the body was found. Upon review Xavier's lips tightened into a thin line. It seemed they had a new enemy in their midst.

Needless to say, excitement buzzed through the student body. The halls of Xavier's school hadn't been so lively at such an hour since William Striker's attack on the school. Students were up and running about, chattering. Kitty, Bobby, and Rogue had already found each other and were comparing notes.

"I heard it was Sakura and her blonde friend," said Kitty. "They took the jet and left."

"Kitty, something tells me I should doubt they just hopped in the jet and left," pointed out Bobby. "They're our age." Or looked it anyways. They hadn't been there very long, and he couldn't be sure exactly what their age was.

"Sakura wasn't in our room when I woke up..." said Rogue, frowning slightly. And she had woken up as soon as she'd heard the roar of the engine blaring right outside her window. Kitty's eyes widened and her face lit up, jumping on the opportunity immediately.

"See? See? Why else wouldn't she be in the room unless she was-"

"Just because Rogue didn't see her doesn't mean she was stealing school property," said Bobby. Kitty rolled her eyes, opinionated as always.

"Then tell me this, Bobby. The team comes back from their mission, not only missing Professor Logan but their hottie friend, and hours later they disappear around the same time the jet was stolen. What does that say to you?"

"If something went wrong on the mission, we would have known by now. Someone would have told us. Professor Xavier, Doctor Gray, _someone_. More reliable than you guessing."

"I walk through walls, Bobby, I don't have to guess!" The two continued to bicker back and forth, but Rogue didn't hear any of it. Their conversation faded. Logan...missing? Despite her protests and a certain ability to phase through solid objects, Kitty wasn't known to always be the most reliable source. And even still, just the thought formed a lump in her through and cause her stomach to suddenly become heavy. Logan was gone a lot, but it was always on his own terms. But now he was...missing? She couldn't get the word out of her mind. Missing. Missing. Missing, missing, missing. The other two were looking worriedly at her now, frowns of concern on their brows, but she was unable to snap herself out of this daze. Logan. Missing.

_**Time Unknown. Location Unknown. Date Unknown. **_

_Beep...Beep...Beep. _The rhythmic sound sped slightly as Sasuke awoke. What the hell was that sound? He was lying flat on his back on a table of some sort when the disorientation wore off. His arms were stretched to the sides and bound to their fullest ability; any further would surely pull his shoulders from their cuffs. He lifted his head slightly, a throbbing sensation pulsating through his head. He'd never been unconscious, that much he was sure of. And yet the last couple of hours were...distant. Both existing and not existing in unison. He lay there for some time, eyes closed and lips parted, trying to get the wave of nausea to retreat. After a while he was able to open his eyes. The room swam around him, both literally and figuratively. He pulled on his bindings slightly, and squirmed as best be could, but any little movement of his torso only hurt.

His upper half was bare, muscles in his chest and arms well defined against the pale skin. Two small, clear cups clung to his breast, attached to thin cords and finally leading to an electrocardiogram monitoring the steady beats of his heart. He looked to the side to see the figure of an unconscious Wolverine laying suspended above a water-filled chamber. Blue lights shone in the sides of the chamber, causing the water to be reflected all throughout the room. Sasuke opened his mouth to call out to the other but before the sound could pass his lips, one of another kind interrupted the silence. That of a door opening.

Flickering gold light peaked out of the shadows before disappearing with another loud _clang_. A single set of footsteps approached. Sasuke's first instinct was to close his eyes and feign sleep, and he did so. Unfortunately, the vital, blood-pumping organ lodged inside his chest betrayed him. _Beep-beep..beep-beep..beep-beep_. Still his eyes remained closed, if not a bit forcefully. The footsteps continued closer before stopping. Silence. Waiting. Waiting for him. Knowing the charade was in vain, Sasuke's eyes opened and flickered upon the newcomer. The figure was clearly that of Tomair, but shadow drenched him, so much so that anything above his chest was completely obscure. It didn't matter, without corrective eye wear Sasuke was unable to make much out anyways no matter how much he might squint. Within moments a crimson leaked into the iris' of his eyes, washing over the entire spheres leaving only a shock of black surrounding the pupils and a thin ring around the outside. The area around him both lightened and sharpened dramatically, transforming into unbelievably high definition. His sights set once again on his supposed captor and his eyes widened. No...there was no...way...

Knowing full well he was unable to hide, the man stepped from the shadows. He wore the same outfit as Sasuke remembered Tomair wearing, but he was taller. His limbs and neck were long and slender, possessing an unnatural, sliding grace with every movement he made. The blue light glowed eerily off his sickeningly pale complexion. His face was narrow and thin, cheekbones gutting out of the sides. Thick, black locks slid over his shoulder and midway down his back, locks falling carelessly into his face, concealing nearly half of it. But the strangest thing about this person was his eyes. Outlined in thick, charcoal lines that slid sharply from the inner corners of his eyes near the bridge of his nose weren't the only thing that made them creepy, though they certainly helped. What was really disturbing, even more so than Sasuke's crimson, was the animalistic gold of the iris, colored brilliant yet dark, like the seething coals of a neglected fire. The pupils were two thin slits, cat-like in appearance. His thin lips pulled into a dark, misplaced smile and his words dripped from his lips like venom, his S's slightly pulled with an almost snake-like hiss.

"Sasuke." The one to whom this name belonged felt the air trap in his chest, everything he could have ever imagined entwined in a single moment all being confirmed at once, and yet leaving his mind brimming with questions, completely disregarded by adrenaline and..fear. He spoke. His voice was hoarse but steady, denying any trace of the emotion he felt inside entry into it.

"...Orochimaru." The man's smile folded out into a grin, sharp canines glimmering, pleased to see the young man remembered him. "How the fuck did you find me?" The pallid man's smile faltered at the rough use of language, but still he glided to the others' side.

"Well that's simple," he replied, looming above him. "You never learned to share as a child and have been begging me for attention for the last couple of months. Now here I am." Sasuke frowned slightly, not understanding what the other meant. "Oh, Sasuke," he said. "You really didn't think you could go around flashing a name like yours without me finding out, did you?" Sasuke's frown hardened in anger, eyes searing. Orochimaru leaned down, face so close to Sasuke's the tips of their noses nearly touched, and the teen could feel the odorless, moist breath against his face as he spoke.

"No..." the snake whispered before attempting to close the distance between them. Sasuke, however, had other plans and whipped his head to the side, Orochimaru's nose colliding with the side of his face. The man frowned, placing his long, elegant fingers against Sasuke's cheek, thumb wrapping under his chin and forcing him to look straight. Sasuke clenched both his eyes and jaw shut and held his breath as the others mouth descended once more, dreading the moment when their lips would touch. Dreading a moment that didn't happen. Orochimaru stopped only centimeters before contact and instead his pink tongue slide from between his lips, touching, tasting, the corner of the Uchiha's mouth. He brought his tongue back and let the grin return to his features, surveying the teenager's face, a chuckle escaping him. Sasuke opened his eyes to see Orochimaru pull back before turning and walking away from him. Walking toward Logan.

"Hey!" Sasuke tried to call, but his voice caught, words strangled lifeless in his throat. "Hey!" he yelled again, this time both much louder and much clearer. "Hey, what are you doing? Get away from him!" Orochimaru stopped and pivoted to face him, another chuckle erupting from his frame.

"I'm sorry, were you under the impression this was only about you?" there was an amused smile on his features. "You were just a bonus, my little Uchiha. The second bird. I must take care of your friend here first. But don't worry. I won't forget about you." Sasuke's eyes widened.

"What are you going to do with him?" he growled. "Damn it! Answer me you bastard! Orochimaru! God damn it!" But he had already turned and continued toward the Wolverine, no longer attentive to what he regarded as the child vying for his attentions. Sasuke struggled against his bindings, heart monitor yelping to a start before chiming rapidly. _Beep-beep, beep-beep, beep-beep_. Suddenly a surge of electricity surged through him, pulling a short cry from his throat, one that he didn't hear, before passing him on to a state of unconsciousness once again.

**6:30 AM. Location Uncertain, New York, March 05.**

It wasn't so bad, really. Flying wasn't that hard, once you got off the ground. Maybe it was just the fact that she was a prodigy talking, but by now Sakura definitely thought pilots were overrated. Naruto had finally decided it was safe to breathe again and took on a more relaxed posture in his chair.

"Gee, Sakura-chan, you're really good at flying," he said. Sakura glanced over at him, raising an amused eyebrow.

"We're speaking English, Naruto, no need for the formalities."

"Oh..." the blonde replied and fell quiet for a few moments.

"Naruto...?" Sakura asked, almost cautiously. She knew him well enough to know the uncharacteristic silences meant something.

"Huh? Oh, nothing," he said. "It's just hard to wrap your head around. One minute they're there and then..." he trailed off. Sakura's expression softened, suddenly feeling bad for her hyperactive companion.

"Oh, Naruto, we'll find them," she assured him. "I'm sure Sasuke and Mr. Logan are just fine." Naruto looked at her and blinked.

"What? No, not them," he said. "The suffixes. -Chan, -san, -kun, that kinda stuff. I don't see why we can't just use them in every language. Either that or not at all. Then I wouldn't have to do all this remembering." Sakura looked at him, eyebrows raised and lips parted in disbelief, but before she could say something the sound of static filled the air followed by,

"_Tshhhhk—Monica, come in, over.–-tshhhk." _Storm. It was either Storm or Jean. It was hard to tell via radio transmission. The so-called "X-men" had been attempting to make radio contact for nearly an hour now, and Sakura had been ignoring them. She rolled her eyes.

"You'd think they would have given up by now," she said.

"Yeah," Naruto replied. "The old man tried to talk to me, inside my mind, a couple of times, too."

"Yeah, me too."

_"Tshhhk—Sakura, Naruto, come in, over.-tshhhhk...Tshhhk-Listen, a body was found on the school premises just after you left. The man was found and he was...he was missing his face. You have to come in for questioning. You might not be safe. Over.-tshhhk." _Both Sakura and Naruto's head snapped to look at each other before their hands shot out for the mouth piece to the radio, the pinkette reaching it just a second earlier and wrenching it from it's holster, twisted cord that kept it to the board snapping to taut attention as she did so.

_"Tsshhhk—This is Sakura. Come in, over.-tshhhk." _

_ "Tsshhhk—Sakura! Thank god. Get back to the school, now. Over.-Tsshhk." _

_ "Tsshhk—What was that about a body? You say he didn't have a face?...Over!-Tsshhhk." _

_ "Tshhhk—Get back to the school. I'm sending you coordinates now, over.-Tshhhk." _

_ "Tsshhk—No! Tell me about the body! When did you find him?... ...Over, damn it!-Tshhk."_

_ "Tsshhk—Get back to the school! Over. Tsshhhk." _Sakura slammed the receiver back on the board, not bothering to end the conversation with an "over and out." She immediately flipped the switch above the radio, the red light next to it disappearing, the radio no longer active. Naruto's eyes were wide and wild.

"Sakura!"

"I know!" She shouted back, turning the wheel drastically.

"I thought we were heading for the lake to look for more clues!"

"What's the use?" she said, staring ahead intently. "We know where he is."


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: I own neither Naruto nor X-men. Reviews appreciated.

Chapter Eleven

**6:54 AM. Location Uncertain, New York, March 05.**

"The fuck is going on?" yelled Naruto, his face bright and flustered.

"Ugh, you idiot!" Sakura yelled back. Energy was high, and even though it wasn't particularly loud around them, they felt the need to yell. "Orochimaru!"

"I know that!" Naruto replied. He'd managed to connect the dots that far. "His power is to take on the identity of other people, and his trademark is to leave the people he steals them from without their face. That means he was somewhere around the school, but I still don't get what we're doing." Sakura allowed herself to calm down a bit more, realizing she hadn't given Naruto quite enough credit. He'd actually thought this through.

"I figured Tomair would take Mr. Logan, but I couldn't figure out why he would take Sasuke. He'd never seen him before. It's no coincidence that Orochimaru let's us know he's out and about hours after Sasuke is taken. And I bet you anything that body back there is Tomair's." Naruto was quiet for a moment, gaze downward in thought. His eyes suddenly widened and he looked back up.

"That means Tomair-"

"Is actually Orochimaru."

"So it was never about Mr. Logan! It was about Sasuke all along!"

"I don't know," replied Sakura, frowning slightly in thought. It was rare she ever had to utter those words. "We can't be sure if it was Orochimaru all along or not. Did you see how he was looking at Mr. Logan? He definitely wanted him. He hardly even glanced at Sasuke before taking him. No, I think this was definitely about Mr. Logan more than Sasuke." Naruto fell into silence. Even still, that bastard had his best friend. He shuddered just thinking about it. This wasn't the first time they'd encountered Orochimaru. The snake had seemed to have a strange...fascination with Sasuke. It hadn't been a big deal at the time but now that he actually had Sasuke...Naruto closed his eyes tightly, trying to expel the thoughts from his head. No, no, no. He couldn't think about that. Even if he was a cold, sadistic killer, Sasuke had lived through worse. Sakura looked over at him.

"Naruto...do you...you know, wanna talk about it?" She felt awful about it, too. Upset and scared and horrified all twisted into one heavy knot at the bottom of her stomach. Sasuke was so dear to her. She had actually been in love with him for a while there, and even though she was no longer he was still like a brother to her. They had all seen what Orochimaru had done to the people he took captive. What was left of them. But she couldn't think about that! "He'll be okay, Naruto." To think the last time this situation rolled around Naruto was the one comforting her. Naruto kept his head bowed but replied.

"I know...so, where are we going?"

"Remember when we dealt with Orochimaru the last time? One of his previous hideouts was in New York. I'm willing to bet that's where he'll be."

"You realize that was like...years ago, right?"

"Yeah."

"Wow...good memory."

"I know."

_**Time Unknown. Location Unknown. Date Unknown. **_

Shape-shifters were overrated. Bouncing from form to form without a care in the world, without baggage. But to assume a full identity, to take on not only that persons appearance but their abilities, memories, and being entirely required a more delicate hand, one possessing true skill. It took an excellence that could balance on the point of a knife, and yet it was so often under appreciated. Unfortunately, while in the life of another person you could only live as long as they did. And since his natural form had become less private than he would have preferred, Orochimaru was forced to live his life through everyone elses, careful to never dwell in his truest self for to long.

But it was hard to come by someone with abilities glorious enough to satisfy him for long. Originally the raven, the pretty little raven, had been his intention as his next container. Young enough to last him decades, and his lovely little _eye thing_ offered him an excitable amount of power. But over the last couple of hours, watching the tests put on the Wolverine had brought him to a new state of mind. It seemed his cells reproduced at an astonishing rate, not only giving him instant healing abilities, but also restricting the aging process. He could be hundreds of years old! Just the thought sent a shivering thrill through him.

It was decided. The Wolverine would be his next body. Until he was ready, he would try to keep him in working condition. The raven however...now that he wasn't needed for future use, it left Orochimaru dozens of options as to what to do with him. A ghost of a smirk passed over his lips. He could simply use the boy to amuse him while he waited for the Wolverine to be ready. Yes. That would do perfectly. Maybe after the raven was broken, he could borrow his eyes as addition to his new body. It could be his contribution; a way of thanking him. Orochimaru glided over to the body of the unconscious boy, who lay still, arms stretched out and bound, as were his ankles. He was so serene. Ebony bangs fell around his face, and his eyelashes brushed his cheeks, nearly femininely long. His mouth was soft and full and his skin was so smooth... his eyes made their way downward to his chest. His figure was on the slimmer side, but still powerful.

Unable to stop himself, Orochimaru left his hand drift down, fingers brushing the surface of the boy's breast. Immediately his eyes snapped open and body jolted. It was unclear whether his instinct was initially to hit the man or simply grab his wrist, but neither were completely due to the faithful bindings that held him motionless. Orochimaru's eyes narrowed, but his lips upturned at the corners in amusement. Instead of pulling away he let his hand ghost upward, along the pale flesh to the boy's collar.

"I have good news, Sasuke," he said softly, in almost a whisper. "...I will not be needing you anymore. I have found someone who better fits my needs as a container." It was uncharacteristic of Sasuke not to retort with some witty remark, but he surprisingly stayed silent, only watching the man with wary eyes. Orochimaru suddenly lifted a leg up and swung it over the table, boosting himself up so as to get on top of the other, straddling his hips. The heart monitor sped up again, but one look at the smoldering in Sasuke's eyes showed it was not from fear, but anger. The snake leaned forwards, lustrous black hair pouring over his shoulder with the movement and pooling on Sasuke's, Orochimaru bringing his face to the side of Sasuke's and whispering in his ear,

"Don't worry. I have other uses for you," before running his tongue along the edge of Sasuke's ear. No sooner had the feeling of Orochimaru's tongue on Sasuke's ear register in his mind did Sasuke slam his head to that side, skull colliding with Orochimaru's. It left his head pounding with pain but successfully got the snake off of him, who immediately sat up, hand coming up to the side of his head. After a moment Orochimaru licked his lips, smiling.

"That's what I love about you, Uchiha. You're so full of fire." He brought his hand to Sasuke's jaw as he had before, holding his head still as he leaned down again. Sasuke tried to struggle but found the older man's grip unbelievably strong, almost eliminating movement of his head entirely. He felt Orochimaru's mouth latch onto his ear, cold tongue running along the edge of his ear before sucking on his ear lobe. His eyes looked frantically around the room, and even up to the ceiling tiles, looking for anything that he could use to get out of this. He found nothing. And the possibility that these could very well be his last hours alive sunk deep beneath his skin. There was a fleeting thought that maybe, maybe if he pleased Orochimaru he would spare his life. This idea was quickly banished, and Sasuke felt disgusted for even thinking it as those cold lips made their way down his jaw, around the fingers that clenched it so roughly.

Sasuke turned his gaze to the heart monitor, staring intensely at the jagged red lines, memorizing the pattern. Anything to keep him from thinking about what was happening. The bastard's lips were on his now, trying to get some sort of response from the Uchiha. Sasuke gave none. Orochimaru's second hand crept upwards to the prodigy's hair and gave a sharp tug. The surprise of the unexpected pain was enough to draw a small gasp from the raven. Orochimaru took full advantage of this, using the opportunity to cram his tongue into the others mouth.

Sasuke's first reaction was to bite, but found his jaw completely immobile against Orochimaru's grip. And so he was forced to deal with the cold, wet muscle that intruded upon the wet cavern of his mouth, pushing his own tongue to the back. While doing so his body slowly began to rock against Sasuke's, building friction between them. The motion became harder and faster as the snake-man let out a low groan into Sasuke's mouth.

As his hand ran down the Uchiha's chest and abdomen, Sasuke began to struggle again, trying to force the other off of him. Unsuccessfully. And still he struggled using all the strength he had, knowing that if he didn't get out of this, he would likely loose his life. So much so that Orochimaru pulled back, still painfully gripping his jaw, fingernails digging into the flesh of his stomach and leaving five, red half-moons imprinted there.

"Don't you get it Sasuke_-kun_?" he hissed. "No one makes it, okay? When you come right down to it, no one makes it out alive. So why are you even trying?" Sasuke was panting by this time. His strength had left him, but his will had not.

"If you really believed that," he replied, near breathless. "Than we wouldn't be here right now."

For the first time a truly angry look crossed Orochimaru's pallid face and he let go of Sasuke's jaw, slapping him across the face hard enough for his head to make contact against the table with an audible _smack_. Before he could compose himself, Orochimaru grabbed Sasuke by the jaw again and brought their faces so close their noses almost touched.

"Well don't worry, Sasuke-kun," he hissed angrily. "You'll have a long time to ponder it. I'm not gonna kill you until you're wishing you're dead, and then begging me for it." Sasuke stared at him for a moment before a chuckle escaped his lips, resting his head back down against the table.

"No need to strain yourself. Your breath has just about done it."

**8:11 AM. Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, New York, March 05. **

"Professor!" Storm called, near running into his office. He looked up from his gaze out the window at her. He had been trying to make contact with the missing children for the last several minutes, but was finding it hard to get a lock on them.

"Yes?" He saw her wide eyed expression and felt his eyes growing in size as well.

"Storm? What is it?"

"Jean has just confirmed it sir. The body. It's..."

"Who?" he asked, but she looked hesitant, almost disbelieving. "Who is it, Storm?"

"It's...Henry Tomair."


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: I don't own Naruto or X-men. Reviews appreciated.

Angel897: Thank you for your continued reviews, I am getting chapters out as quickly as possible.

DemonKittyAngel: Thanks for the long review, those are always fun to read. March 5th starts during chapter nine and continues on for some time, my apologies for the confusion. And thank you for the eloquent and flattering review in it's entirety, nothing powers updates so well.

Chapter Twelve

**9:43 AM. Location Uncertain, New York, March 05.**

Sakura had told Naruto to get some sleep on the way there, but he found it was easier said than done. He sat back in his chair, eyes closed, trying to trick himself into falling asleep. Rather unsuccessfully. He couldn't. He was worried about Sasuke. As much as that cold bastard infuriated him, and he did, he couldn't help but feel an ache in his chest, swelling with a feeling he couldn't place. He turned over in the seat more than a couple of times, trying to find a position that wouldn't hurt his heart so much. It wasn't an easy task, but eventually sleep was able to consume him. But as he fell into unconsciousness, Sakura remained very much awake. She'd set the craft to autopilot, one hand still resting on the main gear. She looked over to Naruto and sighed. She had spent so long longing after Sasuke...wanting him. He was so appealing, gorgeous to look out and shrouded in mystery. Dark, sexy mysterious. Even now she couldn't both honestly and completely say she didn't still think so, but the flame she once held for him had long been extinguished. She had shown great maturity by letting him go.

Her yearning for him, wanting their relationship to be something more than he was willing to let it be was actually what was keeping them apart. Once she'd stopped pursuing him, they were both able to take a step back and really look at each other, restart as equals. And both discovered the other to be a person they hadn't expected. Sasuke found Sakura not to be the weak, lolly-headed girl she seemed when obsessing over him, but an intelligent young woman with a creative flair and a true, genuine love for people; something that one was hard-pressed to find in recent days. Sakura's image of Sasuke was changed too. Before she'd seen him as this god-like creature, flawless, enchanting, and completely beyond her realm of understanding. Now she knew he was a person just like everyone else, not only that, but he was passionate for what he believed in and cared for the people precious to him above anything else, and though it usually didn't show, when the stakes were really high, it was never more clear. Sakura mused that it was around the time she'd gotten her relationship with Sasuke straightened out that Naruto stopped pursuing her the way she did Sasuke. Everything was falling into a balance.

At first the thought that she had lost Sasuke in a sense depressed her, but she quickly learned she hadn't lost anything. Actually, it was just the opposite. She had gained two brothers. And now as she looked onto the sleeping form of the unruly blonde, she swore to herself that she'd do whatever it took to keep that bond, that family, alive.

**10:03 AM. Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, New York, March 05.**

The faceless body wasn't a riddle. It was a message. And a very clear one. Orochimaru was about, and they were on his radar. Xavier feared this very thing would happen. It had been bad enough that the late Tomair had been aware of them, but Orochimaru was a different story entirely. Tomair at least was somewhat sane: all he did had meaning, purpose, reasoning. The latter, however, just liked to kill. Orochimaru's killing sprees were erratic, brutal, and almost impossible to predict. The murders were vicious, lustful, and seemingly random. The fact that he generally targeted mutants didn't help narrow the search down. There was no visible pattern, and next to nothing was discovered about him.

It was logical to assume that since Tomair was dead but nothing had been heard about either of his captures, they were now likely being held and probably _used_ by Orochimaru himself. Since the two friends of the boy that was taken hadn't returned the Professor could draw one of two conclusions: either they were unaware of the snake-man's track record, or they did know about him, and were off to where they thought he was. Where they thought he was...Xavier had been able to draw a thought to where he could be hiding, completely unable to pick up any sort of mental presence. But if Naruto and Sakura already knew where he was, perhaps he could put a mental tag on them and have his X-men follow. After all, they had a stake in this as well. Xavier knew he'd never be able to forgive himself if he lost Logan. That man had so much potential.

**11:16 AM. Location Uncertain, New York, March 05.**

It was in the forest-strewn outskirts of New York that Orochimaru had built his hiding place. Though the location was completely obscure, Sakura remembered the coordinates exactly, and got them there as quickly as she was able. They settled the jet in a small clearing, the grass of which was trampled in two particular lines about two inches thick each and running exactly parallel from one another. After the landing strip lowered and the two hurried down, Sakura looked wildly around. She caught a faint glimmer and went over to find it was exactly what she thought it was: a chain. The small links traced back into the ground. Sakura's eyes narrowed. About four feet in front of her the grass had been heavily trampled, as if several people had paced back and forth over it. The strange thing was while it continued a good meter or so towards her, there was a perfect square of grass that still stood erect as if it had never been touched by human foot. She reached down and took the chain in her hand. Standing back until the chain became taut and had reached it's full, she gave it a jerk. Nothing but a groan of metal rewarded her for her effort. She stepped forwards again, eyes probing the grass until they caught a brief shimmer in reflection of the still morning sun. Her fingers caught the object and examined it. A padlock. By this time Naruto was hurrying down the jet ramp. He'd had to locate and find his shoes before leaving.

"Sakura!" he called. "Hey! Did you find something?"

"Yeah, I-" Before she could finish her statement, a person appeared before her and a single boot came down, stomping on her hand. Bent and caught between the boot and the lock, she heard several loud cracks in swift succession. A scream left her lips. The redheaded female from their first encounter with Tomair stood there, a dazed expression on her face.

"Sakura-chan!" shouted Naruto, racing forward. But before he could reach her Sakura leaped up, throwing herself into the other and knocking her backwards. She clenched her fist, a glowing blue hue surrounding it.

"Get down there, Naruto, and find Sasuke. I'll hold her off. Hurry!" At first Naruto found himself hesitating, not wanting to leave her side when she needed him. But knowing she knew best, he gave a quick nod. Grabbing a large stone that lay in the grass nearby, he struck the lock with all his might several times over until it broke, allowing him to give the chain a heave, pulling the panel of grass backed by metal from the ground, revealing the hidden staircase beneath it. With a shriek, the redhead lunged in an attempt to stop him, but Sakura, recovering herself, jumped into a tackle, knocking her to the ground.

"Go now!" she shouted and Naruto made his way down, the door slamming shut behind him. The stairwell lead down into a winding hallway. The walls were orange. That's the first thing Naruto noticed. But not the bright, happy orange he liked to wear, but a grungy, dark orange with blade swirls engraved on them. He brought his hand to the wall for a moment, fingertips feeling the texture and frowned. This didn't seem at all typical for a murderers secret hideout. Drawing his hand away he continued down the hallway. He walked for some time down the twisted corridor without running into any kind of guards or security, and figured Orochimaru must not have known anyone was on to his little slumber party and hadn't felt the need to take much precaution other than the girl outside. Though the conclusion made sense, Naruto continued to feel uneasy. What worried him more was the amount of doors and hallways were beginning to branch off. This place was quite expansive and though he'd been there once before, he couldn't remember where anything was. It probably would have been a better idea to have Sakura come down, since she apparently remembered everything. He rounded a corner. Just as these thoughts were processed a hand was placed on his shoulder. With a jump he turned to see the pinkette herself coming from around the turn.

"Relax, it's just me." She had grass stains on her cheeks and elbows and bits of hair had fallen out of her ponytail from the tumbling.

"Sakura! What happened with that girl?"

"Don't worry about it," she assured. "I'm fine. Let's hurry up and find Sasuke." She started to walk ahead of him.

"Sakura..." he said, trailing behind a few feet before coming to a stop. "...Did you have your hair tied back before?" She paused for a moment and without a word sprung into the quick action of both turning and bringing the back of her arm against his head with enough force to knock him over, hitting the floor and remaining there, unconscious. She brought her arm down to her side, patches of her skin taking on a deep blue color and rapidly spreading, hair bleeding into red and becoming shorter. It was now Mystique who stood there instead of the bubbly young woman, looking down at the fallen male. As she did so Magneto rounded the corner, glancing down at him as well.

"Very good my dear," he said. Storm, Scott, and Jean turned the corner after them. Storms eyes widened at the sight, hands brought to her mouth.

"Naruto!" she exclaimed softly, hurrying to his side. She couldn't deny the motherly tendencies that were released over such things, especially involving children.

"He'll be fine, stop wasting time," snapped Magneto, Mystique having already began to continue down the hallway, pausing to look back at them.

"Well we can't just leave him here," she said. Scott knelt down next to her.

"Here, I'll take him."

"Thanks, Scott."

He pulled the young man's arm across his shoulders and stood him up before the three followed Magneto and Mystique. They hadn't been walking long when Jean stopped, hand coming to her head.

"Jean?" asked Scott, worry beginning to crease on the edges of his features. Her eyes suddenly opened and her hands lowered again.

"They're in a room not far from here...hooked up to some kind of equipment. Hurry." With that she raced ahead, the others following behind her. They reached the prescribed room only a few minutes later, the doors sliding open. The entire room was drenched in blue light, illuminating from inside a glass tank lying horizontal in the middle of the room.

"Oh, my god..." said Storm, hurrying forward when she saw that Logan was lying on his back inside the tank, submerged in the liquid with dozens of wires hooked up to his arms, chest, and head. Jean ran after her as Scott set Naruto down before following. Jean first ran to the tank to find a clear lid had been placed over the top, one that would not be removed no matter how much she pushed. Storm went to the control panel near by. She wanted desperately to go about pressing as many buttons as she could to find one that worked, but the fear of somehow worsening his condition by doing so gave her the strength to wait and read the labels first. She saw nothing that looked to be right for raising him from the tank, or taking off the lid. Scott appeared behind her, raising a hand to his visor.

"Here, I'll-"

"Wait," said Storm. She tilted her head upwards, eyes glazing over, a sign of her using her power. She stretched a hand out, electricity sparking from her palm before striking the panel. In the first horrifying moment all the lights on said tablet darkened. But before they could react it hummed back to life. There was a click and the sigh of released air as the lid slid from the top of the tank. The three hurried over. Not bothering to check on how the man was doing or if there was anything they could do to help, Mystique and Magneto busied themselves with looking at the papers strewn about the metal desk located a few mere feet from the control panel, knowing there was likely information there worth having.

At first all was fuzzy when the blonde opened his eyes with a groan and sat up, hand coming to his head.

"Ughhh...Sakura-chan, what...?" It didn't take him much longer to realize he was no longer in the hallway where he'd been rather ungracefully KO'd. In even less time did he spot the table to the side of the main attraction where another form lay, hooked up to a steadily beating heart monitor.

"Sasuke!" he shouted, jumping to his feet. Immediately he began to feel dizzy from such a sudden action but, after stumbling a moment, managed to conquer the feeling and run to the raven's side. "Sasuke! Sasuke! Teme! You're okay, you're okay!" he exclaimed repeatedly. "You're okay...you're okay...Sasuke..."

_Beep..Beep..Beep.._

A groan was issued from who that heartbeat belonged to as he opened his eyes, dark orbs slightly dazed. With an exclamation of joy from Naruto, Sasuke sat up, tearing the small plastic cups from his chest and head, tossing them aside. The heart monitor flailed to a flat line.

"Naruto?"

"C'mon, sleeping bastard, Sakura's outside, we gotta get outta here!"


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: I honestly didn't want to write this today. But unfortunately my muse is a fickle bitch with a very short attention span, and I knew if I didn't grind out this chapter now, it'd take a good couple of months to get it out. My apologies for the shortness. I don't own Naruto or X-men. Reviews appreciated.

Tachi Kagahara: I appreciate your interest in this story, and assure you the character's abilities will be revealed more in depth throughout the fic. Try to hang on until then.^^

Chapter Thirteen

**1:02 PM. Location Uncertain, New York, March 05.**

Sasuke awoke aching and disoriented to a throbbing noise in his head. No, not inside his head. Outside. He blinked to clear is bleary vision. It helped, but everything was still a bit blurry due to his lack of eye wear. Despite this, he recognized Naruto leaning over them, features contorted with worry, and shouting his name. He forced himself up as Naruto quickly untied his bindings, ripping the cords from his head and breast.

"Ughh...Naruto?" He groaned, bringing his hands up to clutch his head in pain as the other continued to speak urging him to stand and tugging at his arm with the same intention. At first he didn't move him his hunched over position, trying to force away the pain long enough to concentrate on even the simple action of getting off the table. Naruto was becoming more and more worried at Sasuke's despondence, realizing he must have been in considerable pain, probably from the drugs that were doubtlessly coursing through his system. Wait...weren't drugs supposed to make you feel good? No time to worry about that now—with Sasuke out of it and Sakura who knows where they were in no shape to take on Orochimaru when he came back, and that could happen at any time.

Sasuke must have decided he was ready to go, because he straightened and eased his legs off the table. Naruto, not realizing doing so would be rather counter-productive, gave another tug on his arm to help him along. This caused the delicate balance of the Uchiha to be compromised and he stumbled upon the moment his feet hit the floor, and would have fallen had Naruto not reached an arm across his chest to keep him standing with a loud exclamation of, "Woah, there!" Sasuke clutched his arm, closing his eyes for a moment.

"You okay...?" he asked softly. Normally the relationship between the two would never tolerate such a blatant display of affection but Naruto had never seen Sasuke stumble like that.

"I'm...fine. Just give me a second..." replied Sasuke, free hand back to his forehead. Naruto glanced back and realized, however hypocritical it was, the others were being quite noisy, sure to attract the unwanted attentions of the snake-man.

"Uh, I don't think we have that much time to spare, bastard." Sasuke pulled himself into a standing position again, pulling himself from Naruto's support.

"Okay...Let's go." Their pace was hurried but painfully slow to Naruto, though he allowed it only because he was didn't know if trying to go faster would hurt the other male. He had no idea what happened in his absence, and what Sasuke had gone through. Physically he looked sound save light bruising along one of his cheeks but physical status didn't always reveal everything.

Wolverine had woken up as soon as he hit the open air with a startled gasp, causing the various tubes that had been stuck in his mouth to supply oxygen and such to make a sudden leap down his throat. He struggled against his bindings to remove them, but they were faithful to their purpose. His three teammates were by his side immediately, Jean pulling the tubes from his throat delicately. He coughed and sputtered for a moment, shaking his head.

His eyes landed on the redheaded beauty bent over him, eyes wide and lips parted. He simply stared up at her, momentarily mesmerized, and she stared back. Scott looked between them, brow furrowing into a slight frown.

"Logan! How are you feeling?" asked Storm. The spell between the two was instantly broken, and they both looked away, Jean turning and brushing an auburn wisp of hair behind her ear.

"Like a million bucks," he replied. "A little help?" Scott raised a hand to his visor, allowing a series of short, small laser blasts to be issued against the bindings, shattering them. With a muttered "thanks" Wolverine sat up, rubbing his sore wrists. He was a little foggy and had a killer headache, but for the most part felt okay.

Sakura rushed through the doors the rest of them had come through minutes before, slightly out of breath. Naruto shouted her name as soon as he saw her.

"Sasuke!" she called. "I got here as soon as I could, are you okay?" she hurried over to them. She tried to take his arm to help him but he pulled away, content on walking by himself. "Naruto, we have to hurry—who knows how many men Orochimaru has here." At this time Storm's attention was caught.

"Hey! Stop!" she called out, quickly walking towards them. Sakura stepped towards her, standing at her full height. "You three are coming with us."

"No way—Sasuke needs medical attention," replied Sakura.

"He can get that at the mansion."

"Or I can just give it to him, after we're out of here."

"You two can't just steal school property and get away with it."

"Wanna bet?"

"Well, well, what do we have here?" All eyes went to the second exit where Orochimaru himself, slimy as ever, stood. Behind him was another man, much younger but possessing hair of gray, pulled back into a ponytail. Circular-rimmed glasses sat upon the bridge of his nose, the light shining off the surface of the glass and obscuring the eyes beneath. In his somewhat scrawny arms he clutched a clipboard possessively to his chest. "Had I known I was hosting a tea party I'd have cleaned up a bit. My prisoners are just lying everywhere," he said before correcting himself. "Well, _were_ just lying everywhere."

"Fucking bastard!" Shouted Wolverine, leaping from his seat despite the protesting shouts of Sakura and rushed at the snake-man, retractable claws appearing from his knuckles with a metallic shriek. Orochimaru simply stepped past the attack, grabbing Wolverine's arm and casting him into a flip. He landed harshly on his back, the air rushing from his lungs upon contact with the ground. It was at this point a barrage of red beams pierced the air, rushing towards him. He leaned from their path put the Cyclops' gaze followed him, shooting lasers as it did so.

Naruto felt an anger long suppressed beginning to rise in his chest. This bastard had dared lay a hand on what was _his_, and he had to pay for that. He felt his mind begin to spin and his breath become labored, jaw clenched as tight as it would go and fists balled until his nails left red moons on the inside of his palms. His eyes narrowed, a shadow forming across his nose as his head tilted down. Sakura looked over, worry strewn about her face.

"Naruto..." she murmured. He didn't reply, just dashed forward, an angry cry clawing it's way from his throat.

"Naruto!" called Sasuke, starting after him but unable to take more than a few steps before stumbling slightly, Sakura steadying him.

"Careful, Sasuke, you're probably still under the influence of whatever Orochimaru gave you..." Was that it? No wonder he could hardly process a thought let alone move without becoming dizzy and nearly falling. Sakura issued Sasuke against the support of a nearby wall when she'd seen Orochimaru extend his hand, a black sake having been coiled around said limb before shooting forwards. Mid-air it grew several hundred times it's normal size, the blue light glistening off it's dark scales. It hissed, fangs protruding horrendously from it's mouth and shot towards the blonde. In the mere seconds Sakura had spent arranging Sasuke, she'd missed both Storm and Jean being sent into the liquid chamber, shattering it and spilling it's contents across the floor. They lay limb among the glass, cloaks and hair strewn about their forms. It seemed like she was the only female still standing as Magneto and Mystique had made a swift exit seconds before Orochimaru had revealed himself.

Naruto had created the various "clones" of himself, some which were furiously punching the serpent and others of which were trying to run around it and get to the source of the problem. None, unfortunately, were successful and instead disappeared in puffs of smoke. Orochimaru took no notice to this non-threat, however, as he was currently avoiding an onslaught of slices from Wolverine.

"Be careful," he warned sharply. "I don't want you damaged." It seemed that the others' healing abilities slipped his mind, his obsession with immortality being his utmost concern. His gray-haired assistant stood off to the side, watching the entire exchange mutely. Sakura wasted no time in rushing at the ginormous snake, fist pulled back and a glowing blue surrounding it like before. She planted her knuckles into the body of the creature, which immediately thrashed backwards, hissing loudly in pain. What was once Naruto took this opportunity to run around the serpent and rush at Orochimaru, who was still fending off Wolverine.

Blinded by rage, the blonde aimed a punch to the side of the snake-mans face. It made contact on the unsuspecting male, who pitched back a couple of steps. Unfortunately this was one at a moment Wolverine was looking to make a jab with his clawed hand, and the shards of metal sank into Naruto's upper arm. The young man howled in pain, drawing his arm away from the source of the pain. The two men, regaining their composure, continued their attack.

Scott had continued to fire his laser at the snake, hitting it's massive head as often as he could while Sakura continued her attack on it's body, punching it at every opportunity while avoiding the fierce swinging of it's massive tail. Unable to jump over a sweep of the tail, the pinkette found herself knocked on her back, looking up to see the snake's head rushing in on her, fangs bared. At that moment Scott's fire struck the giant creature's eye, causing it to shriek in pain and retract. Sakura leaped to her feet and aimed another punch at the body of the creature. It crashed to the ground, coiling around itself before becoming still. Suddenly there was a shouting:

"Move in! Move in!" Suddenly people poured out of both doors. They were all dressed in dark blue with black vests and helmets, sporting large black guns. They encroached like an swarm of locus, taking position and aiming their guns in a mass of somehow organized noise. The appearance of a good many of them promised the entire suit was of mutants, and powerful ones at that. Two shots were fired, inserting six small, silver pins into the neck of Orochimaru, the effects of which took immediate effect and sent him into a dead drop on the ground. His assistant tried to make a run for it but was quickly stopped in a similar fashion. The two unconscious bodies were taken, and the rest of them were escorted from the underground lab. By this time Storm had regained consciousness, making Jean the only one who needed carrying, the actual act of which was done by Scott.

"Kind of anti-climactic, isn't it?" asked Naruto absently. He and Sakura stood at the top of the ramp leading up to the jet, Sasuke already having entered and sat himself down in the back. Five or six helicopters had landed in the clearing, which the soldiers were currently loading back into. Sakura found herself raising an eyebrow, both out of surprise for Naruto knowing a word that big, and at his choice.

"Anti-climactic?" she asked.

"Yeah." He simply replied, waiting a moment before realizing he should probably elaborate. "I mean, we're the ones with a history with the snake-bastard, and we went to all this work to get Sasuke back and beat him, and at the last moment these guys rush in and take him down for us. It just doesn't seem right."

"I guess it's not something you'd usually see in the movies," said Sakura.

"Yeah, I guess not. Who are these guys, anyways?" Sakura frowned in thought.

"That's what I was just thinking..." Naruto shrugged, feeling the weariness from the battle kick in and walked into the jet. He was too naive to wonder the motives of the people who'd come in, but Sakura wasn't. Sure, they were apprehending a murderer, which should be motive enough, but Sakura got the feeling something about this wasn't at all right. She walked down the ramp and stepped into the crowded clearing, a frown still apparent on her features as she looked around.

She froze as her eyes caught sight of a person standing next to one of the helicopters, their back facing her. The female wore a tight, backless dress showing off her curvacious, gorgeously proportioned body and had a champagne glass, celebratory, perhaps, dangling from her fingers to the side of her, the other hand on her hip. Her long, light blonde hair was tied back in a high ponytail, still falling to her waist. As the female turned to look over her shoulder Sakura could see she had two loose locks of hair falling on either side of her face, just long enough to brush her collar bone. Her pupil-less, light blue eyes met Sakura's green and the expression she wore changed from content to a small, but slyly amused smile. Sakura said followed her example and said nothing, only give a small smile of her own and offering an inclination of the head.

A man in a blue satin dress shirt stepped out of the helicopter she stood next to. His hair was tied up into a single, small ponytail and his eyes were a dark brown. He wrapped his arm around the waist of the blonde, who turned and gave him a brief kiss before following him back into the helicopter.

Sakura smiled and gave a slight shake of her head before turning and making her way back to the jet. After all, she had her own rag-tag team to patch up.


End file.
